Facile construction of polypyrrole microencapsulated γ-Fe2O3 for simultaneously enhancing the flame retardancy and smoke toxicity suppression of intumescent flame-retardant epoxy resins

For effectively strengthening the comprehensive properties of intumescent flame-retardant epoxy resins (EPs), a microencapsulating γ-Fe₂O₃ by polypyrrole (PPy) named PPy-Fe₂O₃ was synthesized and used as a synergist to simultaneously enhance the flame retardancy, smoke toxicity suppression and mechanical strength of EP composites containing diaminodiphenylmethane modified ammonium polyphosphate (DDP). The results demonstrate that the mixture of PPy-Fe₂O₃ and DDP exhibits a surprising synergistic effect on strengthening the comprehensive properties of EP composites. Specifically, EP composite containing 0.2 wt% PPy-Fe₂O₃ and 9.8 wt% DDP achieves the UL94 V-0 rating with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 35.5%, while 10 wt% DDP only imparts a UL94 V-1 rating and a LOI value of 34.0% to EP. Furthermore, 0.2 wt% PPy-Fe₂O₃ shows a 11.0% reduction in peak smoke production rate and a 12.3% reduction in peak heat release rate of the EP/DDP system. The enhanced fire security of EP/DDP/PPy-Fe₂O₃ is attributed to the formation of more phosphorus-rich structures retained in the char, thus reducing the release of harmful gases including NH₃, CO, and CO₂, and generating more incombustible gases including H₂O to weaken burning intensity. Meanwhile, the satisfactory compatibility of PPy-Fe₂O₃ with epoxy matrix imparts a superior mechanical strength to EP composites.     

Ionic liquid modified graphene oxide for enhanced flame retardancy and mechanical properties of epoxy resin

In this work, to improve its dispersion and flame retardancy, graphene oxide (GO) was functionalized by silane coupling agent KH550 and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazole hexafluorophosphate (PF₆-ILs), and characteristics of the PF₆-ILs@GO was obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Then, the synergistic flame retardant of GO or PF₆-ILs@GO and melamine pyrophosphate (MPP) were applied for epoxy resin (EP) materials. Specifically, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of EP with 0.1 wt% PF₆-ILs@GO was increased to 29.2% from 27.5% of EP/MPP composites, and the UL-94 test reached the V-0 rating. The CCT results showed that the total heat release (THR) and total smoke release (TSP) of EP/MPP/PF₆-ILs@GO composites were significantly 24.4% and 53.4% lower than that of EP/MPP composites. Besides, the thermal behavior investigated by TGA indicated that the char-forming effect of GO and PF₆-ILs@GO was great, the residual char of EP/MPP/PF₆-ILs@GO composites was as high as 19.5% at 700°C, and its thermal stability was higher than that of EP/MPP composites. On the other hand, the tensile strength of EP/MPP/GO and EP/MPP/PF₆-ILs@GO composites were increased by 15.6% and 28.3% compared with EP/MPP composites. According to SEM analysis, the EP/MPP/GO composites formed a good protective char layer, which can effectively improve flame retardancy of EP. This research represents a new method of flame retardant modified GO to improve the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of polymers.     

Synergistic Effect of Mesoporous Nanocomposites with Different Pore Sizes and Structures on Fire Safety and Smoke Suppression of Epoxy Resin

Epoxy resin (EP) is extremely flammable, and smoke release during combusting is considered toxic and harmful for human health. Mesoporous materials offer reliable desorption performance due to their large specific surface area. Therefore, the construction of mesoporous nanocomposites is a novel method for enhanced smoke suppression effect of EP. In this work, zinc hydroxystannate (ZHS)‐mesoporous silica (SBA‐15 and MCM‐41) modified reduced graphene oxide (RGO) is successfully prepared and used to enhance the fire safety of EP. SBA‐15‐RGO‐ZHS/EP exhibits the lowest total smoke production (22.8 m²) and peak heat release rate (416 kW m^?2), which are reduced by 55% and 37% compared with pure EP, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of mesoporous nanoparticles is also investigated. Apparently, the smoke suppression effect and flame retardancy of SBA‐15‐RGO‐ZHS/EP is even more remarkable than that of MCM‐41‐RGO‐ZHS/EP, which indicates that the pore size and structure of mesoporous are important factors for reducing the smoke toxicity of EP. Finally, it is verified that its enhanced fire safety is attributed to the synergistic action of physical barrier properties of RGO, “labyrinth” effect of SBA‐15, and catalytic ability of ZHS.     

壳聚糖/ZIF⁃67杂化物的制备及其对环氧树脂阻燃抑烟性能的影响

为了提高环氧树脂（EP）的阻燃抑烟性能,采用共沉淀法将类沸石咪唑酯骨架材料ZIF⁃67负载到壳聚糖（CS）表面,通过傅里叶红外光谱（FTIR）、X射线衍射（XRD）和扫描电子显微镜 （SEM）对其结构和形貌进行分析,结果表明杂化物CS⁃ZIF⁃67成功制备。将不同比例的CS⁃ZIF⁃67添加到EP中,研究其对EP阻燃抑烟性能的影响。结果表明,与纯的EP相比,CS⁃ZIF⁃67的加入可以提高EP复合材料的垂直燃烧UL 94等级和极限氧指数（LOI）、降低EP复合材料的热释放速率（HRR）和烟释放速率（SPR）,提高复合材料燃烧后的残炭量,CS⁃ZIF⁃67的加入可以有效提高EP的阻燃抑烟性能。对EP复合材料燃烧后的残炭进行SEM和Laman光谱分析。结果表明,CS⁃ZIF⁃67的加入,使得残炭的石墨化程度提高,EP燃烧时能形成更加致密的炭层,从而起到阻燃抑烟的作用。     

Boosting flame retardancy of epoxy resin composites through incorporating ultrathin nickel phenylphosphate nanosheets

Ultrathin nickel phenylphosphate (NiPP) nanosheets with layered structure are successfully synthesized through a mixed solvothermal method. The results indicate that NiPP is Ni(O₃PC₆H₅)·H₂O and has good thermal stability. To ameliorate the thermal stability and flame ratardancy of epoxy resin (EP), EP/NiPP nanocomposites are prepared by incorporating NiPP into EP matrix. The results show that adding NiPP can availably enhance thermal stability at high temperature due to the remarkable catalytic char performance of NiPP, and the residues yield of EP/NiPP nanocomposites with 6 wt% NiPP is 24.1% while the pure EP had only 14.2% at 700°C. In contrast with pure EP, the peak heat release rate, total heat release, smoke production rate, CO production, and CO₂ production of EP/6wt%NiPP nanocomposites reduced by 35.2%, 20.2%, 27.1%, 45.8%, and 35.5%. The synergistic effect of catalytic char performance and fire retardancy of NiPP make the EP/NiPP nanocomposites possess prominent flame retardancy, smoke suppression, and thermal stability.     

A P/N-containing flame retardant constructed by phosphaphenanthrene,phosphonate, and triazole and its flame retardant mechanism in reducing fire hazards of epoxy resin

A P/N-containing flame retardant (PPT) constructed by phosphaphenanthrene, phosphonate, and triazole groups was successfully synthesized and used as a reactive co-curing agent for epoxy resin (EP). The curing behavior, thermal property, combustion behavior, and flame retardant mechanism of EP thermosets were comprehensively investigated. According to the analysis of DSC and TGA, PPT accelerated the crosslinking reaction and enhanced the charring ability for EP thermosets at high temperature. The results of combustion test indicated that PPT endowed epoxy thermoset with outstanding flame retardancy. When the phosphorus content was 0.71 wt%, EP/DDS/PPT-2 achieved a LOI value of 33.2% and passed V-0 rating in UL-94 test, and its peak heat release rate and total heat release were decreased by 63.7 and 30.5%, respectively, relative to EP/DDS. Moreover, the FIGRA of EP/DDS/PPT-2 was reduced from 9.7 to 3.5 kW m⁻² s⁻¹, manifesting the significantly improved fire safety of EP thermoset. The flame retardant mechanism was summarized as two parts: (a) the barrier effect of continuous phosphorus-rich char layers in condensed phase, (b) the quenching effect of phosphorous radicals and diluting effect of nonflammable gases in gaseous phase.     

Epoxy resin/phosphorus‐based microcapsules: Their synergistic effect on flame retardation properties of high‐density polyethylene/graphene nanoplatelets composites

Two types of microcapsule flame retardants are prepared by coating ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and aluminum diethylphosphinate (ADP) with epoxy resin (EP) as the shell via in situ polymerization, and blended with high density polyethylene (HDPE)/graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) composites to obtain flame‐retardant HDPE materials. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and water contact angle results confirm the formation of core–shell structures of EP@APP and EP@ADP. The limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test (UL‐94), cone calorimetry, and Raman spectroscopy are employed to characterize the HDPE/GNPs composites filled with EP@APP and EP@ADP core–shell materials. A UL94 V‐0 level and LOI of 34% is achieved, and the two flame retardants incorporated in the HDPE/GNPs composite at 20 wt % in total play a synergistic effect in the flame retardancy of the composite at a mass ratio of EP@ADP:EP@APP = 2:1. According to the cone‐calorimetric data, the compounding composites present much lower peak heat release rate (300 kW/m²) and total heat release (99.4 MJ/m²) than those of pure HDPE. Raman spectroscopic analysis of the composites after combustion reveals that the degree of graphitization of the residual char can reach 2.31, indicating the remarkable flame retarding property of the composites. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46662.     

Self-emulsification synthesis of epoxy phosphate ester and its flame-retardant mechanism in flexible poly(vinyl chloride)/magnesium hydroxide composites

A trade-off dilemma exists for simultaneously improving the mechanical properties and flame resistance of flexible polyvinyl chloride (fPVC)/magnesium hydroxide (MH) composites. In this study, epoxy phosphate ester (EPE), a hydrophobic surface modifier of MH, was synthesized using a self-emulsification method. After modification, EPE was bonded to the surface of MH (MHEPE) without altering its morphology. The results of limiting oxygen index and cone calorimetry tests indicated that fPVC/MHEPE exhibited better flame retardancy and smoke suppression effects than did fPVC/MH. The peak of the heat release rate, total heat release, peak of the smoke production rate, and total smoke production of the fPVC/MHEPE composite were 206.0 kJ m⁻², 45.90 MJ m⁻², 0.0729 m² s⁻¹, and 9.88 m², which were 8.64%, 14.00%, 27.61%, and 9.02% lower than those of the fPVC/MH composite, respectively. For the fPVC/MHEPE composite, a compact and continuous char residue formed, which could inhibit heat and flammable volatile migration between the matrix and burning zones. In the gas phase, the dilution effect of H₂O vapor reduced the concentrations of O₂ and flammable volatiles. The free-radical quenching effect of ·PO and ·PO₂ also played a vital role in extinguishing flame and terminating combustion. Further, the introduction of EPE improved the tensile and impact strengths of the fPVC/MH composites because of the excellent interfacial compatibility between MHEPE and the fPVC matrix. This study provides a simple and workable solution for the trade-off dilemma, and the remarkable flame retardancy and mechanical properties of the fPVC/MHEPE composite render it a promising cable material.     

Silica solid particles toughening,strengthening and anti-aging on epoxy resin

Solid particles used to toughen polymer can induce shear bands and crazing to release the internal stress of polymer. Herein, SiO₂ particles with different sizes were prepared by sol–gel method and modified by triethylenetetramine (TETA) in water. 1, 2, 3 and 4 wt% of SiO₂ and SiO₂-TETA particles are used to toughen epoxy resin (EP). They can form chemical bond with EP to heighten polymer^'s storage modulus and glass transition temperature. SiO₂-TETA containing active hydrogen atoms is a better cross-linking agent than SiO₂. Both SiO₂ and SiO₂-TETA particles possess obvious strengthening effects on EP. Their toughening effect depends on size. The 100 nm SiO₂ nanoparticles showed better toughening performance than 300 or 500 nm SiO₂ particles attributing to their higher specific surface area. The impact strength of EP/SiO₂-TETA composites with 3 wt% of 100 nm particles is 16.26 kJ/m², which is 27.67% and 8.00% higher than EP and EP/SiO₂ respectively. In addition, its tensile strength is 63.13 MPa, which is higher than the other is too. The barrier effect of solid particles can effectively improve the heat and ultraviolet resistant properties of EP matrix; as a result, their anti-aging property is improved significantly.     

Grafting multi-elements hybrid polymer brushes on graphene oxide for epoxy composite with excellent flame retardancy

In this paper, a silicon-oxygen coupling agent (MPS) with a double bond is hydrolyzed with graphene oxide (GO) to obtain MPS-GO. The polymerization of MPS-GO with the phosphorus-containing monomer (HEPO) is initiated with 2,2′-Azobis(2-methylpropionitrile) (AIBN) to obtain multi-elements hybrid polymer brushes grafting graphene oxide (HM-GO). As a flame retardant, different amounts of HM-GO are added to obtain EP composites. In this system, the properties of composite flame retardant obviously increase with the increasing of HM-GO. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of composites with 4 wt% addition of HM-GO is 31.0%, while the LOI value of EP-0 is only 23.9%. And the peak heat release rate (PHRR) value is reduced from 515.8 W g⁻¹ of pure epoxy resin to 376.9 W g⁻¹. In addition, with the increase of HM-GO addition, the T_g value, flexural strength and flexural modulus of EP composites are improved. Through calculation, it is proved that the rising of T_g was due to the increase of crosslink density of the system. The flame retardant performance and mechanical properties of the composite materials are steadily improved, indicating that such flame retardants are dispersed well in the epoxy resin. HM-GO is an efficient macromolecular modified graphene oxide halogen-free flame retardant, which can improve both flame retardant properties and mechanical properties.     

Tailored interphase and thermal interface resistance of self-assembled thermally reduced graphene oxide–polyamide hybrid/epoxy composites with enhanced thermal conductivity

Thermally reduced graphene oxide–polyamide (TrGO-PA) hybrids were fabricated by self-assembly between TrGO nanosheets and PA microparticles, and the dispersibility, interphase extension, and thermal conduction mechanism of TrGO-PA/epoxy (EP) composites were investigated. Most of the oxygen-containing functional groups of TrGO were removed, and a conjugated structure of graphene was recovered. TrGO was distributed evenly on the PA surface via electrostatic adsorption between TrGO and PA, which resulted in the inhibition of TrGO aggregation in the epoxy matrix. Compared with that of TrGO/EP and PA/EP composites, the thermal interface resistance (R_TIM) of TrGO-PA/EP composites was greatly decreased to 38.3 mm² kW⁻¹ and the thermal conductivity was improved to 0.268 W/(m K), which was attributed to the enhanced dispersibility of TrGO-PA and the enlarged interphase in TrGO-PA/EP composites. A schematic model of thermal conduction mechanisms was proposed based on the formation of contiguous thermal transfer pathways by bridged TrGO adsorbed on well-dispersed PA microparticles in TrGO-PA/EP composites. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47826.     

Flame-retardant epoxy resin with good smoke-suppression endowed by chitosan–cobalt/phosphorus complex

Chitosan-based flame-retardant CS–Co–DOPA (CCD) was synthesized by the neutralization reaction of 10-hydroxy-9,10-dihydro-9-oxo-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPA) with chitosan-cobalt complex and fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectrometer, x-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical emission spectrometer, and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) characterizations. The epoxy resin (EP) modified with CCD exhibited good flame retardancy. With the addition of 5 wt% CCD, the EP/CCD achieved UL-94 V-1 rating and possessed limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 30%. Cone calorimetry (CC) test demonstrated that EP/CCD resulted in a remarkable reduction of peak smoke production rate (pSPR) and total smoke production (TSP) by 63% and 40%, respectively, showing an outstanding smoke suppression. The char residue obtained from the CC test was further characterized using SEM, FTIR, Raman, and XPS techniques. The results revealed that CCD facilitated the formation of a dense and compact char layer on EP during combustion, thereby impeding gas and heat transfer. In addition, TG-IR was employed to investigate the gas-phase flame-retardant effect of EP/CCD composites, which revealed that CCD promotes the release of water, CO_2, and other incombustible gases, altering the decomposition path of EP.     

Influences of 4ZnO·B2O3·H2O whisker based intumescent flame retardant on the mechanical,flame retardant and smoke suppression properties of polypropylene composites

In this work, the influences of 4ZnO·B₂O₃·H₂O zinc borate (ZB) whisker based intumescent flame retardant (IFR) containing ammonium polyphosphate and dipentaerythritol on the mechanical, flame retardant and smoke suppression properties of polypropylene (PP) composites were characterized by the universal testing machine, UL-94, limiting oxygen index (LOI), and cone calorimeter tests, respectively. The results indicate that only 1 phr of ZB could effectively improve the LOI value and slow down the burning rate of PP composite. The peak heat release rate, average of HRR, total heat release, peak smoke production rate, and total smoke production values are all decreased from 413.8 kW/m², 166.3 kW/m², 82.3 MJ/m², 0.0995 m²/s, and 17.9 m² for PPc/20IFR composite to 267.8 kW/m², 128.3 kW/m², 66.8 MJ/m², 0.0478 m²/s, and 12.6 m² for PPc/20IFR/1ZB composite, respectively. The scanning electron microscopy images, energy dispersive spectrometry, and Raman spectra of char residue reveal that ZB is helpful to form a compact and graphitized intumescent char residue so that the heat diffusion and oxygen transmission are greatly hindered. The thermogravimetry analysis-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR) results show that less combustible volatiles and more H₂O vapor are generated with the appearance of ZB. Hence, the combustion mechanism in gas phase is suppressed.     

Nickel-Aluminum Hydrotalcite for Improving Flame Retardancy and Smoke Suppression of Intumescent Flame Retardant Polypropylene: Preparation,Synergy, and Mechanism Study

Intumescent flame retardants (IFR) are widely used in the field of flame retardant polypropylene (PP), but their flame retardant efficiency and smoke suppression properties need to be further improved. Herein, a Ni-Al LDH (layered double hydroxide) is obtained successfully by coprecipitation and microwave hydrothermal technique and used as a synergist to improve the flame-retardant and smoke-suppression properties of triazine-based IFR. The results showed that IFR/Ni-Al LDH exhibited the best synergistic effect when the IFR is replaced by 5 wt% Ni-Al LDH. 17 wt% IFR/Ni-Al LDH enabled the PP composites to achieve UL-94 V-0 rating with a high LOI of 29.8%. Besides, the introduction of Ni-Al LDH effectively decreased the heat and smoke release of the PP/IFR composites due to its catalytic charring effect. This is mainly attributed that the introduction of metal ions in Ni-Al LDH effectively improved the strength and crosslinking degree of char layer and promoted the formation of a cohesive and dense char layer. The formed high-quality char layer effectively exerted the barrier effect in condensed phase. Therefore, the PP/IFR/Ni-Al LDH composites exhibited excellent flame-retardant and smoke-suppression performance. This investigation provided a facile way to prepare environment-friendly and high-performance flame retardant PP composites with wide application prospects.     

The effect of graphene nanoplatelet thickness on the fracture toughness of Si3N4 composites

Si₃N₄ composites with 3 and 5?wt% of graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) additions were prepared by spark plasma sintering. We used both commercially available GNPs and thinner few-layer graphene nanoplatelets (FL-GNPs) prepared by further exfoliation through ball milling with melamine addition. We found that by employing thinner FL-GNPs as filler material a 100% increase in the fracture toughness of Si₃N₄/3?wt% FL-GNP composites (10.5?±?0.2?MPa?m^1/2) can be achieved as compared to the monolithic Si₃N₄ samples (5.1?±?0.3?MPa?m^1/2), and 60% increase compared to conventional Si₃N₄/3?wt% GNP composites (6.6?±?0.4?MPa?m^1/2). For 5?wt% filler content the increase of the fracture toughness was near 50% for both GNP and FL-GNP fillers. The hardness of the composites decreased with increasing GNP content. However, composites reinforced with 5?wt% of FL-GNPs displayed 30% higher Vickers hardness (12.8?±?0.2?GPa) than their counterparts comprising conventional GNP fillers (9.8?±?0.2?GPa). We attribute the enhanced mechanical properties obtained with thinner FL-GNPs to their higher aspect ratio leading to a more homogeneous dispersion, higher interface area, as well as smaller pores in the ceramic matrix.     

Effect of different zeolitic imidazolate frameworks nanoparticle-modified β-FeOOH rods on flame retardancy and smoke suppression of epoxy resin

A simple method was used to load zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) onto β-FeOOH nanorods to ameliorate the flame retardancy and smoke suppression of epoxy resin (EP). The morphology and structure of ZIF-8-β-FeOOH (Z8Fe) and ZIF-67-β-FeOOH (Z67Fe) nano hybrids were systematically characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra, which proved the successful preparation of the hybrids. 3 wt% of Z8Fe and Z67Fe were added to the EP matrix, and their combustion properties were studied, respectively. The results showed that the composites' limiting oxygen index values were ameliorated to 27.3% and 28.1%, respectively. Their UL94 flame retardant rating was improved, their peak heat release rate and total heat release were reduced, their flame retardant performance was considerably improved, and their generation of toxic smoke was significantly suppressed. Further, through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, XRD and laser Raman spectroscopy analysis of the char residue, their potential mechanism of flame retardancy and smoke suppression were studied.     

Effects of graphene oxide sheets-zirconia spheres nanohybrids on mechanical,thermal and tribological performances of epoxy composites

In this work, graphene oxide sheets-zirconia spheres (ZrO₂-rGO) nanohybrids were fabricated by Schiff base or Michael addition reaction. Their structure was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, UV–vis absorption spectra, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscope in detail. The reaction process of PDA-capping on rGO and APTES treatment on ZrO₂ nanoparticles were verified and it was proved that the ZrO₂ nanoparticles were successfully adhered onto the wrinkled surface of the graphene oxide. As a new multifunctional nanofillers, the ZrO₂-rGO nanohybrids were introduced into epoxy matrix and the mechanical, thermal properties and tribological performances of the fabricated composites were also detailedly investigated. Compared with the neat EP composites, the tensile strength and elongation at break of 0.1?wt% ZrO₂-rGO/EP are improved by 33% and 40%, respectively. Besides, the propagation of decomposition reactions in the composites could be impeded by anchoring ZrO₂ nanoparticles on the lamellar skeleton of graphene oxide. Furthermore, the lubricating effect and strong interfacial interaction contributed by the ZrO₂-rGO nanohybrids result in efficient load transfer from the matrix to the hybrids, which enables the ZrO₂-rGO/EP composites to have a fairly high wear resistance performance. This novel and effective approach using ZrO₂-rGO nanohybrids as multifunctional nanofillers could be beneficial to promote the development of high performance composites.     

A DOPO Derivative Constructed by Sulfaguanidine and Thiophene toward Enhancing Fire Safety,Smoke Suppression,and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Resin

In order to eliminate the negative effect of traditional 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) -based flame retardants on heat resistance, mechanical properties, and curing process of epoxy resin (EP), a DOPO derivative (DST) constructed by sulfaguanidine and thiophene is designed and used as co-cured agent for EP. Compared with EP, the maximum decrease of glass transition temperature (T_g) in all EP/DST samples is less than 5%, indicating EP modified by DST maintains good heat resistance. Encouragingly, DST shows satisfactory flame-retardant efficiency and excellent smoke suppressing effects. EP containing barely 5 wt% of DST (P content: 0.37 wt%) achieves a UL-94 V-0 rating and 32.8% limited oxygen index (LOI) value. Its peak heat release rate (PHRR), total heat release (THR), and total smoke production (TSP) are also decreased by 31.2%, 18.8%, and 30.2% . Further, DST significantly improves mechanical properties of the EP/DDM/DST system. The tensile strength and modulus increase by 37.2% and 14.6%, respectively, as DST content is 7.5 wt%. It is revealed that DST has positive quenching and diluting effects in the gas phase, as well as promoting the formation of a compact char layer in the condensed phase.     

Synergistic flame retardant effects of activated carbon and molybdenum oxide in poly(vinyl chloride)

The synergistic effects of activated carbon (AC) and molybdenum oxide (MoO₃) in improving the flame retardancy of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) were investigated. The effects of AC, MoO₃ and their mixture with a mass ratio of 1:1 on the flame retardancy and smoke suppression properties of PVC were studied using the limiting oxygen index and cone calorimeter tests. It was found that the flame retardancy of the relatively cheaper AC was slightly weaker than that of MoO₃. In addition, the incorporation of AC and MoO₃ greatly reduced the total heat release and improved smoke suppressant property of PVC composites. When the total content of AC and MoO₃ was 10 phr, PVC/AC/MoO₃ had the lowest peak heat release rate and peak smoke production rate values of 173.80 kW m^?2 and 0.1472 m² s^?1, which represented reductions of 47.3 and 59.9%, respectively, compared with those of PVC. Furthermore, thermogravimetric analysis and gel content tests were used to analyze the flame retardant mechanism of AC and MoO₃, with results showing that AC could promote early crosslinking in PVC. Char residue left after heating at 500 °C was analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, and the results showed that MoO₃ produced the most compact char, with the smallest and most organized carbonaceous microstructures. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Intercalated kaolinite with ammonium dihydrogen phosphate as an effective flame retardant to enhance the flame retardance and smoke suppression of epoxy resins

To improve the compatibility and flame retardance of kaolinite (Kaol) in polymeric materials, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) was intercalated into kaolinite to obtain a novel intercalated kaolinite (K-ADP) for enhancing thermal stability, flame retardance, smoke suppression, and mechanical performance of epoxy resins (EPs). The results show that the presence of K-ADP exerts a more positive effect on reducing the heat release and smoke generation of EPs than the same addition of Kaol. Condensed phase analysis shows that EP/K-ADP composite generates more aromatic cross-links in the condensed phase to reinforce the compactness and intumescence of char compared to EP/Kaol composite. Especially, 5 wt% K-ADP confers a 43.7% reduction in peak heat release rate value and a 36.3% reduction in peak smoke production rate value to EP. Toxic gases analysis shows that K-ADP conduces to inhibiting the release of combustible gases including isocyanates and aromatic volatiles, and generating incombustible gases including ammonia and carbon dioxide to reduce the intensity of EP combustion. The mechanical test shows that K-ADP imparts less adverse impact on mechanical behavior to EP composites than Kaol due to the good dispersion and compatibility between K-ADP with EP matrix.