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Enhancement of fire performance for rigid polyurethane foam composites by incorporation of aluminum hypophosphite and expanded graphite

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Abstract

A series of rigid polyurethane foam/aluminum hypophosphite/expanded graphite (RPUF/AHP/EG) composites were prepared by one-step water-blown method. The effects of AHP/EG on the cell structure, thermal stability, flame retardant as well as combustion behavior of the composites were investigated by Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Thermogravimetric analysis (TG), Limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 vertical burning test and Micro-combustion calorimetry (MCC). Flame-retardant tests and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed that the AHP/EG system enhanced high-temperature stability and flame-retardant performance of the composites. The char residue of RPUF/AHP15/EG15 at 700 °C was 22.4 wt%, the LOI value was 26.4 vol% with V-1 rating in UL-94 test. Thermogravimetric analysis-Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (TG-FTIR) indicated that AHP/EG system significantly inhibited the generation of hydrocarbons, CO2, CO and esters from the pyrolysis RPUF matrix. XPS analysis showed that the combination of AHP and EG could promote RPUF matrix to form aromatic and aromatic heterocyclic structure, which was benefit to the formation of dense char layer, thus achieving the purpose of flame retardancy. Based on the analysis, the flame-retardant mechanism of RPUF/AHP/EG composites was proposed.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Fund of China (No. U1833113, No. 51403004), Key Research Projects in Nanhu College of Jiaxing University (NO. N41472001-49) and the Jiaxing Science and Technology Project (No. 2020AD10020).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, 59 Hudong Road, Ma’anshan, 243002, Anhui, China

    Mengru Liu, Zijian Zhou, Yadong Yang, Xinliang Liu, Xiuyu Liu & Gang Tang

  2. Hangzhou Steam Turbine Company Limited, 1188 Dongxin Road, Hangzhou, 310022, Zhejiang, China

    Zhaohe Feng

  3. College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, Fujian, China

    Ruiqing Zhao

  4. State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, University of Science and Technology of China, 96 Jinzhai Road, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China

    Bibo Wang

  5. Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, 314001, Zhejiang, China

    Dan Deng

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  1. Mengru Liu
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Liu, M., Feng, Z., Zhao, R. et al. Enhancement of fire performance for rigid polyurethane foam composites by incorporation of aluminum hypophosphite and expanded graphite. Polym. Bull. 79, 10991–11012 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-022-04084-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-022-04084-7

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