Cocoa industry waste shows promise in flame retardants

In Scotland, researchers at St. Andrews University have found that cocoa pod husks—an abundant waste product of chocolate and other industries—could be used to make more sustainable flame retardants.

Led by chemistry and chemical biology professor Dr. Nicholas Westwood, the study found that processed lignin from cocoa pod husks could enhance the already high flame-smothering ability of existing flame retardants.  Approximately 20 million tons of the plant waste is generated annually by cocoa bean cultivation.

“The findings from this study are important because they provide direct experimental evidence for one of the mechanisms proposed for strong shear thickening,” says Dr. Heinrich Jaeger, professor of physics at the University of Chicago. “Namely, frictional interactions as the particles in the liquid are sheared into contact.” Jaeger is a co-author of the study, which was led by postdoctoral researcher Dr. Hojin Kim.

The findings were published recently in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering.