Biochar as a high performance low cost filler for polymer composites

Polymer composite is a hot topic for a huge number of applications. From aerospace to everyday life, composites are becoming very popular. However, two issues have to be duly considered when a large-scale application is targeted, namely the economic and the environmental impact point of view. For the first, it will be critical to decrease the composite price while improving the properties (e.g. mechanical, electrical ones). For the second, to use of recycled or bio-derived materials is sought. In particular, in the field of polymer composites with carbon fillers, a recent trend is to use biochar in substitution to the other carbon fillers (e.g. carbon nanotubes, graphene). Biochar is a charcoal used normally as a soil amendment in agriculture. However, as it is stable and rich in carbon. Because of its high carbon content, it is a good candidate as a substitute for costlier and higher environment impact carbon forms. In this work, we will present recent achievements in the field of polymer composite based on biochar and will compare results obtained used biochar with those obtained with the other carbon fillers

Carbon Nanostructures for Actuators: An Overview of Recent Developments

In recent decades, micro and nanoscale technologies have become cutting-edge frontiers in material science and device developments. This worldwide trend has induced further improvements in actuator production with enhanced performance. A main role has been played by nanostructured carbon-based materials, i.e., carbon nanotubes and graphene, due to their intrinsic properties and easy functionalization. Moreover, the nanoscale decoration of these materials has led to the design of doped and decorated carbon-based devices effectively used as actuators incorporating metals and metal-based structures. This review provides an overview and discussion of the overall process for producing AC actuators using nanostructured, doped, and decorated carbon materials. It highlights the differences and common aspects that make carbon materials one of the most promising resources in the field of actuators

A Short Note on the Interference Layer Microscopy

The interference layer microscopy is a specific technique of microscopy that requires the deposition on the specimen of a thin layer of a transparent dielectric material to enhance the contrast of the observed images. In white light, the different components of the specimen appear as having different and distinctive colors. In this manner, the specimen can be rendered in beautiful colored micrographs. Here, we shortly discuss this technique. We also propose an analysis of a colored image obtained by this technique, analysis made by means of a processing based on RGB histograms

Development of Coffee Biochar Filler for the Production of Electrical Conductive Reinforced Plastic

In this work we focused our attention on an innovative use of food residual biomasses. In particular, we produced biochar from coffee waste and used it as filler in epoxy resin composites with the aim to increase their electrical properties. Electrical conductivity was studied for the biochar and biochar-based composite in function of pressure applied. The results obtained were compared with carbon black and carbon black composites. We demonstrated that, even if the coffee biochar had less conductivity compared with carbon black in powder form, it created composites with better conductivity in comparison with carbon black composites. In addition, composite mechanical properties were tested and they generally improved with respect to neat epoxy resin

Biochar Emerging applications

This reference text covers the latest developments in biochar materials research, a field which is becoming increasingly popular due to the potential of biochar to replace carbon materials derived from non-renewable sources. Emerging and innovative applications of biochar materials are discussed, and all aspects of the field are covered, from production to applications, including details on the techniques used. There is a particular focus on biochar as a material for composites and sensors. This is the first book to cover emerging applications of biochar as an innovative, versatile, carbon-based renewable material, beyond its traditional uses in agriculture. It is a valuable reference for all researchers in the fields of biochar and carbon materials, including industry practitioners

Microwave characterization and shielding properties of biochar based polymers and cements

Recently, in composites production the attention has been focused on the study of ecofriendly materials derived from recycling. In geographical areas where biomass and other biogenic wastes are abundant, it is advantageous to find new applications for these production scarps [1-4]. Biochar is a solid material derived by pyrolysis of biomass. It is characterized by high carbon contain, and for this reason, it can be thinking as substitute of more expensive carbon filler in polymers. Please click on the file below for full content of the abstract

Graphene and MWCNT Printed Films: Preparation and RF Electrical Properties Study

Carbon materials are well known for being a versatile class of materials able to transmit an electrical signal when used as fillers in composites. Among numerous carbon fillers, carbon nanotubes and graphene have been extensively investigated for the last thirty years. This paper compares graphene and carbon nanotube electrical (i.e., resistive and reactive) properties in the microwave range up to 3 GHz. The transmission and reflection parameters of both the microstrip transmission lines and patch antennas loaded with 33 wt.% of graphene and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were analyzed. Interestingly, for an identical composite matrix composition, different scattering parameters stemmed from the different morphology of the films, the diverse interactions between the graphene nanoplatelets, MWCNTs, and polymeric binders in conjunction with the intrinsic electrical characteristics of the two carbon materials

High-Temperature Annealed Biochar as a Conductive Filler for the Production of Piezoresistive Materials for Energy Conversion Application

In this research work, we develop a prototype that is able to convert mechanical strain into an electrical signal. To reach this scope, we evaluated the electrical properties of a thermally anneale..

Three-dimensional rendering of biochar surfaces from their FESEM images

As explained in [1], the design and functionalization of new materials, such as the biomaterials for instance, relies heavily on the ability of having an accurate measure and visualization of the three-dimensional surface architectures. Here we present a method for producing a three-dimensional surface model, obtained from the map of the brightness tones in a microphotography. In particular, in our work we are using the maps we can obtain from a two-dimensional analysis made by means of the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). Please click on the file below for full content of the abstract

Towards Traditional Carbon Fillers: Biochar-Based Reinforced Plastic

The global market of carbon-reinforced plastic represents one of the largest economic platforms. This sector is dominated by carbon black (CB) produced from traditional oil industry. Recently, high technological fillers such as carbon fibres or nanostructured carbon (i.e. carbon nanotubes, graphene, graphene oxide) fillers have tried to exploit their potential but without economic success. So, in this chapter we are going to analyse the use of an unconventional carbon filler called biochar. Biochar is the solid residue of pyrolysis and can be a solid and sustainable replacement for traditional and expensive fillers. In this chapter, we will provide overview of the last advancement in the use of biochar as filler for the production of reinforced plastics