Synthesis of CeO2‐loaded titania nanotubes and its effect on the flame retardant property of epoxy resin

A series of CeO₂‐loaded titania nanotubes (CeO₂‐TNTs) hybrid materials with different CeO₂ loadings were synthesized by co‐precipitation method and then incorporated into epoxy resin (EP) to prepare CeO₂‐TNTs flame‐retardant epoxy nanocomposites. Structure and morphology characterization indicated the successful synthesis of CeO₂‐TNTs. The effect of CeO₂‐TNTs with different CeO₂ loading capacity on the flame retardance of EP was compared and analyzed by the thermogravimetric analysis, Cone and Raman. The results showed that CeO₂ loading could increase the carbon residue of nanocomposites, reduce the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR), and improve the fire safety of EP. The residual carbon content of EP/0.1CeO₂‐TNTs sample at 700°C reached 19.8% with the lowest degradation rate, and the PHRR and THR were reduced to 680 kW/m² and 32.9 MJ/m², respectively. Such a significant improvement in flame‐retardant properties for EP could be attributed to the protective effect of CeO₂‐TNTs.