TY - JOUR A1 - Sanchez-Olivares, Guadalupe A1 - Brehme, Sven A1 - Calderas, F. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Flame Retardant Polyolefins Using Fibers From Leather Waste: Adjusting Extrusion Variables to Balance the Property Profile N2 - The extrusion processing variables represent a key to the optimal use of additives and thus the development of flame-retardant polymer composites. Adjusting the property profile, for example, finding a balance between flame retardancy and mechanical properties is the main challenge. In this work, the effect of blending temperature and rotational speed on physico-mechanical properties and fire behavior of polyolefin composites was investigated. High-density polyethylene or polypropylene was used as polymer matrices; the polymers were compounded by the extrusion process using industrial-waste leather fibers as flame retardant adjuvant and commercial flame-retardant additives. A detailed rheological analysis highlighted different viscoelastic behavior, that is, a predominant elastic or viscous one. The effect of the extrusion processing variables was also investigated on the morphology, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition, fire behavior under forced flaming combustion and flammability. Important improvements were revealed with respect to using only high loading of flame retardants. For high-density polyethylene-based composites, impact resistance and elongation at break increased 8 and 7.5 times, respectively. The total heat evolved (87MJ/m2), effective heat of combustion (31.6MJ/kg), flame retardancy (UL 94 rating) results were comparable with the reference sample. Meanwhile for polypropylene composites, the impact resistance increased 2.2 times and the flame retardancy was improved from no rating in the UL 94 vertical test to V-0 rating. Tailored processing was highlighted as an autonomous and powerful approach to achieve balanced and demanding properties. KW - Biomaterials KW - Composites KW - Extrusion KW - Flame retardance KW - Leather waste KW - Polyolefins PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656732 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/vnl.70048 SN - 1548-0585 SN - 1083-5601 VL - 32 IS - 2 SP - 410 EP - 430 PB - Wiley Periodicals LLC. AN - OPUS4-65673 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wagner, Jan A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Rockel, Daniel A1 - Reimann, H.-A A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - This is the way: An evidence based route to phytic-acid–based flame retardant poly(lactide acid) N2 - A systematic sequence of materials was investigated to develop phytic-acid (Phyt)–based flame retarded poly (lactide acid) (PLA), while factoring in molecular weight (MW), crystallinity and mechanical properties. Synergistic approaches were developed based on combinations with lignin and expandable graphite (EG), as well as by applying different Phyt salts of melamine (Mel), piperazine (Pip), and arginine (Arg). Compounds were twin screw extruded, injection molded, hot pressed and investigated with thermal analysis, size exclusion chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, tensile testing, limited oxygen index (LOI), UL 94, cone calorimeter, and scanning electron microscope. 16.7 wt.% flame retardant (FR) slightly enhances crystallization while MW remains unchanged in PLA Phyt Arg and PLA Phyt Mel. LOI was improved to 43.7 vol.% for PLA Phyt Arg, UL 94 V0 achieved for PLA Phyt Pip. Cone calorimeter results show total heat evolved reduced by 14 %, maximum average rate of heat emission 43 % lower, and peak heat release rate reduced by 50 % for PLA Phyt Mel. Phyt Mel combined with EG increased the char yield of PLA to 20 wt.% and 15.5 wt.% at 600 and 900 ◦C, respectively. Phyt is exploited to enhance char yield, stabilize the intumescent char, and lower the apparent effective heat of combustion. The combination of Phyt Mel and EG was proposed as an efficient FR for PLA via an evidence based developing route. KW - Polylactide acid KW - Intumescent flame retardant KW - Phosphorous flame retardant KW - Phytic acid KW - Expandable graphite KW - Melamine PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-626395 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111242 SN - 1873-2321 SN - 0141-3910 VL - 234 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-62639 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Bhatia, Riya A1 - Dey, R. A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Ullrich, M. S. A1 - Thomsen, C. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Wastewater phosphorus enriched algae as a sustainable flame retardant in polylactide N2 - Revolutionizing our polymer industry for adaption to a sustainable carbon circular economy has become one of today’s most demanding challenges. Exploiting renewable resources to replace fossil-fuel—based plastics with biopolymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is inevitable while using waste streams as a raw material resource at least is promising. When it comes to using PLA as technical polymer, its high flammability must be addressed by flame retardants compatible with the thermoplastic processing of PLA and its compostability. This study proposes microalgae enriched with phosphorus from wastewater (P-Algae) as an elegant way towards a kind of sustainable organophosphorus flame retardant. The concept is demonstrated by investigating the processing, pyrolysis, flammability, and fire behavior of PLA/P-Algae, while varying the P-Algae content and comparing P-Algae with four alternative bio-fillers (phosphorylated lignin, biochar, thermally treated sewage sludge, and metal phytate) with different P-contents as meaningful benchmarks. KW - PLA KW - Flame Retardancy KW - Phosphorylated Algae KW - Wastewater flame retardants KW - Zink phytate KW - Phosphorylated lignin KW - Thermally treated sludge PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-604150 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2024.110885 SN - 1873-2321 SN - 0141-3910 VL - 227 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-60415 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -