Given its cost-effective and eco-friendly nature, the developed composite has potential applications in automobiles, furniture, electronics, and packaging industries
Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati Researchers have developed an eco-friendly composite material made of ‘Bambusa tulda’, a fast-growing bamboo species in Northeast India, combined with biodegradable polymers. Due to its properties such as, high strength, thermal stability, low moisture absorption and cost effectiveness, the developed composite is a suitable replacement of conventional plastics used in automotive interiors.
Led by Dr. Poonam Kumari, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, the research not only addresses the problem of plastic waste, but also provides a solution to the growing global demand for greener materials, particularly in automotive manufacturing industries.
The findings of this research have been published in the prestigious journal, Environment, Development and Sustainability (Springer Nature), in a paper co-authored by Prof. Poonam Kumari, along with her research scholars Mr. Abir Saha and Mr. Nikhil Dilip Kulkarni from IIT Guwahati.
IIT Guwahati researchers tested four bamboo-based composite formulations consisting of Bambusa tulda fibers reinforced with bio-based or petroleum-based epoxies. By treating the bamboo fibers with alkali, the team improved its compatibility with the base polymer resulting in enhanced durability for real-world use. The developed formulations were then evaluated on 17 different parameters to test their tensile strength, thermal resistance, impact durability, water absorption and cost per kilogram, among others.
While these formulations had distinct strength, none of them had all the properties to provide a balanced and high performing option. To identify the same, the team used Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM), a structured evaluation method. The results observed bamboo composite made with bio-based epoxy FormuLite as the best performing option with low moisture absorption, significant thermal stability, and mechanical strength. The cost-effective nature of the composite, priced at Rs. 4300 per kilogram, makes it an eco-friendly solution for automotive parts, such as, vehicle dashboards, door panels and seat backs, among others.
Speaking about the developed composite, Dr. Poonam Kumari said, “Developed composite can be used for designing components/parts in consumer electronics, automobiles, aerospace, sustainable building materials etc. The product will replace wood/iron/plastic components and will have similar cost and lead to fulfil SGD goals (7,8 and 9). This development is in line with Make in India policy under Green Tech Revolution.”
The team is currently conducting a full life cycle assessment of the developed composite to measure its environmental impact from production to disposal. As the next step, the research team is planning to apply industrial techniques such as compression modelling and resign transfer to scale up the production.
