Experimental and computational modeling of effective flexural/tensile properties of microwave pyrolysis biochar reinforced GFRP biocomposites

This study focuses on developing high-strength biocomposites through the addition of biochar particulate reinforcement in the conventional fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites. The novel biocomposites, consisting of E-glass fiber, microwave-pyrolysis synthesized biochar, and vinyl-ester matrix, were manufactured in a pultrusion process. The high specific-surface-area of biochar particles along with their nanoscale hardness/Young's modulus attribute up to 34% flexural strength gain compared to the conventional GFRP composites. This research presents results from biocomposites tensile and flexural testing, conducted following a design-of experiments. Experimental results are assessed against computational values derived from a hybrid composite theory on the basis of Rule of Mixture theory, as well as ABAQUS finite element modeling solved through composite homogenization technique.