A novel intumescent flame retardant: Synthesis and application in ABS copolymer

A novel phosphorous-nitrogen structure containing intumescent flame retardant, poly(4,4-diaminodiphenyl methane spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphonate) (PDSPB) was synthesized and characterized. Thermal stability and flammability properties of ABS/PDSPB composites were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cone calorimeter test, respectively. The results showed that the addition of PDSPB enhanced the thermal stability and flame retardancy of ABS significantly. The weight of residues improved greatly with the addition of PDSPB. FTIR and SEM investigations revealed that the residual chars contain polyphosphoric or phosphoric acid, which plays an important role in the process of carbonization. The intumescent chars formed from PDSPB and ABS/PDSPB composites were intact, multicellular and strong. It is confirmed that the char structure was a critical factor for flame retardancy of ABS resin.     

Effects of thermal-oxidative aging on the flammability and thermal-oxidative degradation kinetics of tris(tribromophenyl) cyanurate flame retardant PA6/LGF composites

The influence of thermal-oxidative aging on the flame retardancy of the flame retardant long-glass-fiber reinforced polyamide 6 composites (FR/PA6/LGF) with different thermal-oxidative exposure times at 160 °C were studied in this work. The flammability and flame-retardant properties of FR/PA6/LGF were investigated by means of the limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test (UL-94), cone calorimeter test (CONE), and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), before and after thermal-oxidative aging. The thermal-oxidative stability and degradation kinetics of the unaged and aged composites were studied by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) with the methods of Kissinger and Ozawa in dynamic measurements (10 °C/min–40 °C/min). The results indicated that the flammability properties mirrored the degradation behaviors of these FR/PA6/LGF composites whatever their forms (aged or not). The Ozawa method showed that the causes of the first peak in the heat release rate change by CONE measurement corresponded to the apparent activation energies of the first stage degradation of aged FR/PA6/LGF composites, and the same conclusion with respect to the other heat release rate peak. Moreover, this aging slightly enhanced the solid phase flame-retardant mechanism by a char-promotion function, but had no effect on the gaseous flame-retardant mechanism and the decrease of harmful gas release rates. The existence of a surface migration effect on the flame retardant would endow FR/PA6/LGF composites with better LOI values, a more protective char layer structure, and excellent UL-94 ratings.