From torrefaction to pyrolysis: Influence of bamboo biochar production route on biochar characteristics and the thermal and mechanical performance of polylactic acid biocomposites
7 affiliations
- 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila, Philippines, 0922
- 2Thermomechanical Analysis Laboratory
- 3De La Salle University Laguna Campus, LTI Spine Road
- 4Center for Engineering and Sustainable Development Research, De La Salle University, 2401 Taft Avenue, Manila, Philippines, 0922
- 5Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and Institute for Advanced Materials and Manufacturing
- 6University of Tennessee
- 7Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Abstract
The transition toward sustainable manufacturing has accelerated the development of sustainable polymer composites reinforced with bio-based fillers such as biochar. This study investigates how the biochar carbonization route affects the thermal and mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites. Bamboo-derived torrefied biomass (TBB) and pyrolyzed biochar (PBB) were incorporated into PLA at loadings of 1 wt.% and 2 wt.%. PLA–TBB composites exhibited improved tensile stiffness and flexural performance, achieving improvements of 4.28% in tensile modulus, 18.72% in flexural strength, and 12.30% in flexural modulus compared with neat PLA. In contrast, PLA–PBB composites showed the highest compressive strength, with a 29.53% increase. Thermal analysis further revealed that biochar, regardless of the carbonization route, induced cold crystallization and slightly improved PLA thermal stability, with PLA–PBB2 exhibiting the highest peak degradation temperature and PLA–PBB1 showing the lowest weight loss. These findings demonstrate that the carbonization route influences the reinforcing performance of bamboo biochar, with lower-temperature torrefied biomass favoring tensile and flexural performance, while higher-temperature pyrolyzed biochar provides superior compressive and thermal properties. The enhanced tensile stiffness and flexural performance of PLA–TBB suggest potential for rigid applications, whereas PLA–PBB is better suited to compression-loaded applications. The results provide valuable insights into tailoring the conditions for bamboo biochar production to support the development of PLA biocomposites.
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BibTeX
@misc{coronado2026from,
title = {{From torrefaction to pyrolysis: Influence of bamboo biochar production route on biochar characteristics and the thermal and mechanical performance of polylactic acid biocomposites}},
author = {Diana Rose R. Coronado and Aristotle T. Ubando and Alvin B. Culaba and Rigoberto C. Advincula},
howpublished = {ChemRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.26434/chemrxiv.15010087/v1},
url = {https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010087/v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - From torrefaction to pyrolysis: Influence of bamboo biochar production route on biochar characteristics and the thermal and mechanical performance of polylactic acid biocomposites
AU - Diana Rose R. Coronado
AU - Aristotle T. Ubando
AU - Alvin B. Culaba
AU - Rigoberto C. Advincula
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
PB - ChemRxiv
DO - 10.26434/chemrxiv.15010087/v1
UR - https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15010087/v1
AB - The transition toward sustainable manufacturing has accelerated the development of sustainable polymer composites reinforced with bio-based fillers such as biochar. This study investigates how the biochar carbonization route affects the thermal and mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) biocomposites. Bamboo-derived torrefied biomass (TBB) and pyrolyzed biochar (PBB) were incorporated into PLA at loadings of 1 wt.% and 2 wt.%. PLA–TBB composites exhibited improved tensile stiffness and flexural performance, achieving improvements of 4.28% in tensile modulus, 18.72% in flexural strength, and 12.30% in flexural modulus compared with neat PLA. In contrast, PLA–PBB composites showed the highest compressive strength, with a 29.53% increase. Thermal analysis further revealed that biochar, regardless of the carbonization route, induced cold crystallization and slightly improved PLA thermal stability, with PLA–PBB2 exhibiting the highest peak degradation temperature and PLA–PBB1 showing the lowest weight loss. These findings demonstrate that the carbonization route influences the reinforcing performance of bamboo biochar, with lower-temperature torrefied biomass favoring tensile and flexural performance, while higher-temperature pyrolyzed biochar provides superior compressive and thermal properties. The enhanced tensile stiffness and flexural performance of PLA–TBB suggest potential for rigid applications, whereas PLA–PBB is better suited to compression-loaded applications. The results provide valuable insights into tailoring the conditions for bamboo biochar production to support the development of PLA biocomposites.
ER -