Flexible bio-composites with continuous natural fibre and bamboo charcoal: enhanced flame retardancy, mechanical resilience, energy-absorbing & printability performance

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Rahmani, K ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0815-1562, Branfoot, C, Karmel, S, Lindsey, K and Bodaghi, M ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0707-944X, 2025. Flexible bio-composites with continuous natural fibre and bamboo charcoal: enhanced flame retardancy, mechanical resilience, energy-absorbing & printability performance. Virtual and Physical Prototyping, 20 (1): e2534845. ISSN 1745-2759

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/17452759.2025.2534845

Abstract

This study presents a novel sustainable flexible bio-composite reinforced with bamboo charcoal (BC) and continuous flax fibres (CFF), designed to achieve exceptional thermo-mechanical features. Unlike conventional 3D-printed composites that rely on synthetic reinforcements, this research pioneers the synergistic integration of BC and CFF within a bio-based thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) matrix using dual-feed 3D printing. BC/CFF incorporation enhances interfacial adhesion, as evidenced by scanning electron microscopy, leading to superior load transfer efficiency. Dynamic mechanical analysis confirms a substantial increase in storage modulus, improving structural stiffness, while melt flow index assessments demonstrate retained extrudability/printability. The addition of 3 wt.% BC and CFF achieves a 1571% increase in tensile strength relative to pure TPU. Furthermore, flame retardancy is significantly improved, with a 52% reduction in burning rate, achieving a UL-94 V-1 rating and a limiting oxygen index of 29.5% vol. Cyclic tensile tests reveal hyper-visco-pseudo-elastic behaviour, stress softening, and high energy-dissipation capacity, confirming suitability for dynamic applications. Meta-bio-composites with quasi-zero stiffness, force regulation, and superior energy absorption/dissipation exhibit a 933% improvement in specific energy absorption, making them ideal for protective applications. These findings establish bio-composites and their meta-structures as high-performance, sustainable alternatives to synthetic counterparts, unlocking new possibilities for automotive/logistics/furniture, and safety-critical applications.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Virtual and Physical Prototyping
Creators:	Rahmani, K., Branfoot, C., Karmel, S., Lindsey, K. and Bodaghi, M.
Publisher:	Informa UK Limited
Date:	2025
Volume:	20
Number:	1
ISSN:	1745-2759
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1080/17452759.2025.2534845 DOI 2478934 Other
Rights:	© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Laura Borcherds
Date Added:	07 Aug 2025 12:41
Last Modified:	07 Aug 2025 12:41
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54138