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Flammability, smoke production, and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane composites with an intumescent flame-retardant system and nano-silica

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Abstract

The aim of this work is to enhance the fire safety of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites by developing an intumescent flame-retardant (IFR) system consisting of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), melamine polyphosphate (MPP), and pentaerythritol (PER), with nano-silica as synergist. TPU/IFR composites were prepared with various APP/MPP/PER ratios and the optimal ratio of these flame retardants was determined. The cone calorimeter results showed superior fire performance of the TPU/IFR composites. The combination of 40 wt% APP, 10 wt% MPP, and 1 wt% PER significantly decreased the peak heat release (PHRR) and smoke production rates (SPR) by 80% and 89.6%, respectively, with little dripping, and without significant deterioration of mechanical properties. The char morphology with SEM technique revealed a porous char structure. The good synergistic effect of nano-silica was confirmed when the addition of 1 wt% nano-silica to the TPU/IFR with APP:PER ratio 4:1 strengthened the char structure, removed droplets, and reduced PHRR and SPR by 38% and 64.5%, while maintained the mechanical properties. All TPU composites fulfilled UL-94 V-0 grade with the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 23–36%. TGA analysis indicated that thermal degradation of the IFR-TPUs started at a lower temperature than that of the neat TPU, indicating the earlier decomposition of IFR leading to the increase of char formation up to 25% compared with the 0.2% in the neat TPU. This work introduced a new formulation of a flame-retardant system for TPU with highly efficient flame retardant and smoke suppression properties without loss of mechanical properties.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Building and Housing Research Center (BHRC)/Fire Laboratory and Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute (IPPI) for supporting this research project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, 16846-13114, Iran

    Leila Taghi-Akbari & Mohammad Reza Naimi-Jamal

  2. Iran Polymer and Petrochemical Institute (IPPI), Tehran, 14965-115, Iran

    Shervin Ahmadi

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  1. Leila Taghi-Akbari
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  2. Mohammad Reza Naimi-Jamal
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Correspondence to Mohammad Reza Naimi-Jamal.

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Taghi-Akbari, L., Naimi-Jamal, M.R. & Ahmadi, S. Flammability, smoke production, and mechanical properties of thermoplastic polyurethane composites with an intumescent flame-retardant system and nano-silica. Iran Polym J 32, 1165–1178 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-023-01188-3

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