Fire resistance of inorganic sawdust biocomposite

The objective of this study was to manufacture fire-resistant biocomposite sandwich plates using waste sawdust as filler and an inorganic potassium aluminosilicate binder. Using binder contents of 29% and 34%, twelve biocomposite plates were fabricated without using any specialized equipment, heat, or pressure, thus producing an environmentally conscious biocomposite material. Several of the plates were strengthened with carbon and glass fiber reinforcements to create a more durable sandwich structure. The influence of binder content and reinforcement type on the heat release rate and smoke emission characteristics were investigated using the OSU heat calorimeter and the NBS smoke chamber, respectively. All specimens passed the Federal Aviation Administration requirements for heat release and smoke emission, the criteria used for evaluation of the test results in this study. Relative to 15 other wood plastic composites that utilize organic polymers, the inorganic biocomposite showed superior heat release rates during 5 min of fire exposure. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.