This study investigates the influence of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), recovered from wastewater sludge, on the flame-retardant and mechanical properties of wool-based fibreboards. The thermal properties of wool, resin, and EPS were analysed using thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry to determine manufacturing parameters and assess their impact on the thermal decomposition of the fibreboards. A specialised fibreboard manufacturing setup, incorporating a drum mixer, tube blender, and hot press, was developed to fabricate the composite boards. Results indicate that increasing the hot-pressing time enhances both flexural and internal bond strength. The incorporation of EPS significantly improves the internal bond strength compared to fibreboards without the biopolymer. Moreover, the combined effects of wool and EPS promote effective char formation and lead to a V-0 rating, showing self-extinguishing behaviour in vertical burn tests. Cone calorimeter analysis reveals that while EPS contributes to a reduction in the heat release rate, its effect reaches a saturation point. However, the fire growth index, along with barrier and protective effect values, demonstrates that EPS effectively mitigates fire spread and propagation. These findings highlight the potential of wastewater-derived EPS as a sustainable additive for enhancing the fire resistance and mechanical integrity of wool-based fibreboards.

In the present research, a bio-based flame retardant (FR) was prepared using a biopolymer derived from wastewater sludge to improve the fire performance of polypropylene (PP). Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which were extracted from wastewater aerobic granular sludge, were absorbed into cellulose-based fibres, such as flax and toilet papers. Thermogravimetric analysis results indicated that the EPS-cellulose fibres played a significant role in enhancing the char formation of PP composite. Furthermore, the incorporation of the bio-based FR into PP restricted its vertical burning characteristics, and at the same time enhanced the tensile moduli of the composites. The reaction between phosphoric acids from EPS and hydroxyl groups of cellulose fibres improved dehydration and char formation of the composites to enhance the overall fire reaction properties. This study opens up new possibilities for the wastewater-derived biopolymer “EPS” to prepare the bio-inspired FRs for cellulose-based fibres and composites, and enhance sustainability of wastewater sludge treatment.

Eco-friendly flame retardants are greatly required to meet the expectations of low-toxicity, environmental compatibility and sustainability. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), the biopolymers recovered from excess granular wastewater sludge, have been successfully incorporated into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by a solution casting method. Self-extinguishment of EPS was observed in a vertical burn test. Positive effects of EPS on the reduction of heat release rate and CO emission of EPS/PVA composites were also demonstrated. The presence of various types of phosphates was detected in the EPS and a possible flame-retardant mechanism has been proposed. The investigation of using granular sludge EPS to reduce the flammability of synthetic polymers may open the possibility of converting wastewater sludge into bio phosphorus-based flame retardants.

In this research, extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), such as EPS_flocs and EPS_granules, were successfully extracted from activated and aerobic granular sludge, respectively, and tested as bio-based flame retardant materials. Flax fabric was coated by the biopolymeric substances and its flammability was evaluated based on a vertical burning test defined in US Federal Aviation Regulation. Both EPS_flocs and EPS_granules coated flax fabrics achieved the self-extinguishment due to effective char formation. In particular, the result of the EPS_granules coated sample met the aviation requirements for the aircraft interior. Moreover, the presence of carbonated hydroxyapatite was identified in EPS_granules char residue by using FTIR and XRD analysis. It can contribute to the self-extinguishing property of the fabric by enhancing char formation. Thermogravimetric analysis also demonstrated that EPS_granules coated flax was able to produce greater amount of char residue and its decomposition rate was significantly reduced. This research indicates that there is a great potential to use this biopolymer as a resource for developing high performance bio-inspired flame retardant materials and contribute to a circular economy.