The Thermal Property and Flame Retardant Mechanism of Intumescent Flame Retardant Paraffin System with Metal

Polymer Composites Filled with Metal Derivatives: A Review of Flame Retardants

Polymer composites filled with metal derivatives have been widely used in recent years, particularly as flame retardants, due to their superior characteristics, including high thermal behavior, low environmental degradation, and good fire resistance. The hybridization of metal and polymer composites produces various favorable properties, making them ideal materials for various advanced applications. The fire resistance performance of polymer composites can be enhanced by increasing the combustion capability of composite materials through the inclusion of metallic fireproof materials to protect the composites. The final properties of the metal-filled thermoplastic composites depend on several factors, including pore shape and distribution and morphology of metal particles. For example, fire safety equipment uses polyester thermoplastic and antimony sources with halogenated additives. The use of metals as additives in composites has captured the attention of researchers worldwide due to safety concern in consideration of people's life and public properties. This review establishes the state-of-art flame resistance properties of metals/polymer composites for numerous industrial applications.

Flame Retardant Paraffin-Based Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Material via Expandable Graphite-Based Flame-Retardant Coating

Shape-stabilized phase change material (SSPCM) is a promising thermal energy storage material in energy-saving buildings. However, its flammability leads to a fire risk. The conventional bulk addition method has a limited flame-retardant effect. Herein, a series of surface coatings with various flame retardants were introduced to improve flame retardance of SSPCM. The results showed that all of the coatings had flame-retardant effects on SSPCM; In particular, the EG coating performed the best: the horizontal burning time was the longest, the limiting oxygen index was above 30%, the V0 classification was obtained, the peak heat release rate was sharply decreased from 1137.0 to 392.5 kW/m² and the burning process was prolonged with the least total smoke production. The flame-retardant mechanism was discussed. As paraffin easily evaporated from the SSPCM at a moderate temperature, it caused flames. After being surface coated, the EG-based coatings first hindered the volatilization of paraffin at a moderate temperature, then expanded and formed thick porous carbon layers at a high temperature to block the transfer of combustibles, oxygen and heat between the bulk and the environment. Therefore, the surface coating strategy achieved a desirable flame-retardant level with fewer flame retardants.

Flame-Retardant and Thermal Degradation Mechanism of Caged Phosphate Charring Agent with Melamine Pyrophosphate for Polypropylene

An efficient caged phosphate charring agent named PEPA was synthesized and combined with melamine pyrophosphate (MPP) to flame-retard polypropylene (PP). The effects of MPP/PEPA on the flame retardancy and thermal degradation of PP were investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test (UL-94), cone calorimetric test (CCT), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was found that PEPA showed an outstanding synergistic effect with MPP in flame retardant PP. When the content of PEPA was 13.3 wt% and MPP was 6.7 wt%, the LOI value of the flame retardant PP was 33.0% and the UL-94 test was classed as a V-0 rating. Meanwhile, the peak heat release rate (PHRR), average heat release rate (AV-HRR), and average mass loss rate (AV-MLR) of the mixture were significantly reduced. The flame-retardant and thermal degradation mechanism of MPP/PEPA was investigated by TGA, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), TG-FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDXS). It revealed that MPP/PEPA could generate the triazine oligomer and phosphorus-containing compound radicals which changed the thermal degradation behavior of PP. Meanwhile, a compact and thermostable intumescent char was formed and covered on the matrix surface to prevent PP from degrading and burning.

Influence of Aluminum Hydroxide and Expandable Graphite on the Flammability of Polyisocyanurate-Polyurethane Foams

The aim of this work was to verify the influence of expandable graphite (EG) and aluminum hydroxide (ATH) fillers on the flammability of polyisocyanurate-polyurethane (PIR). Limited oxygen index increased to 72.5 with an incorporation of 16 phr (parts per hundred of matrix) EG and 50 phr ATH into the matrix (total weight percent was 39.76%). Cone calorimetry was employed to study the flammability properties of these PIR/ATH/EG composites. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was conducted to study the char characteristics of the composites after the cone calorimetry tests. It was found ATH could effectively induce villi like particles, which made the intumescent char denser, on the surface of EG. The compact char layer could effectively impede the transport of bubbles and heat. ATH and EG accelerated the initial degradation and fluffy char was quickly generated on the surface. Thus, degradation products of the composite were slowed down and the diffusion of volatile combustible fragments to flame zone was delayed.