A Comprehensive Approach to the Fire Safety of Biopolymers within Industrial Processes

Although the use of polymers is almost ubiquitous in several industrial and civil applications, their inherent flammability poses a significant concern in terms of safety, requiring a dedicated analysis for the characterisation of fire properties. In addition, the current trend toward more sustainable processes has promoted the replacement of fossil-based traditional polymers with biopolymers. As a way of example, the use of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) is gaining momentum, especially for pharmaceutical and food packaging applications. Nevertheless, most of the current research is focused on the evaluation of mechanical and barrier properties at operative conditions relevant for the final use, as well as on quantifying the shelf life and optimised conditions for their production. The current literature presents a lack of knowledge on the safety parameters and fire behaviour of biopolymers. In this framework, this work presents an overview of the classification, current understanding, and experimental and numerical procedures for the characterization of biopolymers together with an experimental campaign employing small-scale thermogravimetric analysis (i.e., differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis) and bench-scale facilities (e.g., cone calorimeter). The collected data allow for a more robust and informed evaluation of safety aspects related to the production, storage, and transportation of biopolymers, enabling the identification of the most sustainable alternative among possible processes and components.