Paper Title
Lignin-Derived Vanillin Epoxy Resin Towards The Fabrication Of High-Performance Flame Retardant Natural Fiber-Based Composites

Abstract
Currently, most of the high-performance epoxy Thermoset is dependent on commercially-based resources such as diglycidyl ether bisphenol A (DGEBA) monomers, which are not environment-friendly safe. Vanillin-based epoxy monomers are gaining increasing attention of the research community to develop biomass-derived epoxy monomers to substitute commercial-based ones. This research presents the fabrication of fully biomass-derived flame retardant composite and their utilization for high-performance structural applications. In this regard, diluted lignin-derived vanillin epoxy and hardener were utilized to fabricate the natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composite through the simple approach methodology. The curing behavior and interfacial interaction of the natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composite were examined by FTIR. The natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composite presented excellent flexural strength and modulus. Moreover, the composite achieved hydrophobicity rather than natural fibers. Interestingly, the natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composite demonstrated anti-flammability properties, while the natural fibers are highly flammable once they catch fire. Based on the results, the natural fiber-reinforced epoxy composite paves the significant way for high-performance structural applications. Keywords - Bio-Based Epoxy, Adhesion Strength, Mechanical Properties, Hydrophobicity, Flame Retardancy.