Flame Retardant and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Materials

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Analysis and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2024 | Viewed by 3021

Special Issue Editor

Department of Fire Safety Engineering, Faculty of Geosceince and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU), Chengdu, China
Interests: polymers/ bio-polymers; nano-material design and analysis; additive manufacturing; light-weight composites; polymer composite analysis; chemical synthesis and analysis
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fire safety has gained increasing attention in recent years, emphasizing the need for high-performance flame-retardant materials. The utilization of multifunctional polymers and thermal insulation materials has become widespread in the manufacturing of fire-resistant devices and building materials due to cost-effectiveness and versatility. As a result, there has been a rapid development of flame-retardant polymer materials, with a growing number of studies focusing on the flame-retardant and mechanical properties of these materials.

In line with this, our Special Issue aims to compile scientific papers that delve into research on the flame retardancy and mechanical properties of polymeric materials. We welcome a broad range of topics, which include, but are not limited to, the following: characterization of flame-retardant composite materials; exploration of fire-retardant coatings; investigation of new flame retardants and flame-retardant polymers; examination of multifunctional flame-retardant polymers; and elucidation of flame-retardant mechanisms. We encourage the submission of original research articles, review articles, and short communications that contribute to our understanding in this field.

Dr. Ehsan Naderi Kalali
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • flame-retardant
  • mechanical properties
  • polymer materials
  • fire safety
  • flame-retardant mechanisms

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 1252 KiB  
Article
A Systematic Investigation on the Effect of Carbon Nanotubes and Carbon Black on the Mechanical and Flame Retardancy Properties of Polyolefin Blends
by Eid M. Alosime and Ahmed A. Basfar
Polymers 2024, 16(3), 417; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym16030417 - 01 Feb 2024
Viewed by 560
Abstract
Due to high filler loading, clean, commercial, thermoplastic, flame-retardant materials are mechanically unstable when insulating wires and cables. In this study, composite formulations of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) containing a flame retardant, such as magnesium hydroxide (MH; formula: Mg(OH)2) [...] Read more.
Due to high filler loading, clean, commercial, thermoplastic, flame-retardant materials are mechanically unstable when insulating wires and cables. In this study, composite formulations of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE)/ethylene–vinyl acetate (EVA) containing a flame retardant, such as magnesium hydroxide (MH; formula: Mg(OH)2) and huntite hydromagnesite (HH; formula: Mg3Ca(CO3)4, Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·3H2O), were prepared. The influence of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and carbon black (CB) on the mechanical properties and flame retardancy of LLDPE/EVA was studied. Three types of CNTs were examined for their compatibility with other materials in clean thermoplastic flame-retardant compositions. The CNTs had the following diameters: 10–15 nm, 40–60 nm, and 60–80 nm. Optimum mechanical flame retardancy and electrical properties were achieved by adding CNTs with an outer diameter of 40–60 nm and a length of fewer than 20 nm. Large-sized CNTs result in poor mechanical characteristics, while smaller-sized CNTs improve the mechanical properties of the composites. CB enhances flame retardancy but deteriorates mechanical properties, particularly elongation at break, in clean, black, thermoplastic, flame-retardant compositions. Obtaining satisfactory compositions that meet both properties, especially formulations passing the V-0 of the UL 94 test with a minimum tensile strength of 9.5 MPa and an elongation at break of 125%, is challenging. When LLDPE was partially substituted with EVA, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) increased. The amount of filler in the formulations determined how it affected flammability. This study also included a reliable method for producing clean, black, thermoplastic, flame-retardant insulating material for wire and cable without sacrificing mechanical properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flame Retardant and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Materials)
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15 pages, 3025 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Material Flame-Retarding System Based on Expandable Graphite for Glass-Fiber-Reinforced PA6
by Florian Tomiak, Melanie Zitzmann and Dietmar Drummer
Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4100; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15204100 - 16 Oct 2023
Viewed by 951
Abstract
A synergistic multi-material flame retardant system based on expandable graphite (EG), aluminum diethylphosphinate (AlPi), melamine polyphosphate (MPP), and montmorillonite (MMT) has been studied in glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6). Analytical evaluations and fire performances were evaluated using coupled thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared [...] Read more.
A synergistic multi-material flame retardant system based on expandable graphite (EG), aluminum diethylphosphinate (AlPi), melamine polyphosphate (MPP), and montmorillonite (MMT) has been studied in glass-fiber-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6). Analytical evaluations and fire performances were evaluated using coupled thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) as well as cone calorimetry, UL-94 fire testing, and limiting oxygen index (LOI). A combination of EG/AlPi/MPP/MMT has been shown to provide superior flame-retarding properties when integrated at 20 wt.% into glass-fiber-reinforced PA6 (25 wt.%), achieving UL-94 V0 classification and an oxygen index of 32%. Strong residue formation resulted in low heat development overall, with a peak heat release rate (pHRR) of 103 kW/m2, a maximum of average heat release rate (MAHRE) of 33 kW/m2, and deficient total smoke production (TSP) of 3.8 m2. Particularly remarkable was the structural stability of the char residue. The char residue could easily withstand an areal weight of 35 g/cm2, showing no visible deformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flame Retardant and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Materials)
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23 pages, 5539 KiB  
Article
Design of Experiments-Based Fire Performance Optimization of Epoxy and Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Polymer Composites
by Christoph M. Pöhler, Marwa Hamza, Torsten Kolb, Erik V. Bachtiar, Libo Yan and Bohumil Kasal
Polymers 2023, 15(20), 4096; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15204096 - 16 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1014
Abstract
The fire performance of epoxy and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with and without fire retardants (FR) (i.e., ammonium polyphosphate (APP), aluminum trihydroxide (ATH), melamine (MEL), expandable graphite (EG)) was investigated. A design of experiment (DoE) approach was applied to study the single- and [...] Read more.
The fire performance of epoxy and carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites with and without fire retardants (FR) (i.e., ammonium polyphosphate (APP), aluminum trihydroxide (ATH), melamine (MEL), expandable graphite (EG)) was investigated. A design of experiment (DoE) approach was applied to study the single- and multifactorial effects of FR. The fire performance of epoxy and CFRP was evaluated by limiting the oxygen index (LOI) and heat release, which were obtained by limiting the oxygen index test and cone calorimetry. It was found that mixtures of 70 wt.-% epoxy, 24.6 wt.-% of APP, and 5.4 wt.-% MEL resulted in the highest LOI level of 45 within tested groups for epoxy resin and also for CFRP specimens (LOI level of 39). This mixture also resulted in the lowest average heat release rate (HRR180s) of 104 kW·m−2 and a spec. total heat release (THR600s) of 1.14 MJ·m−2·g−1, indicating the importance of balancing spumific and charring agents in intumescent systems and synergy thereof. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flame Retardant and Mechanical Properties of Polymer Materials)
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