Abstract
Mineral filler fire retardants are one of the most important classes of fire retardant, and one of the most important classes of polymer additives. In addition to reducing the flammability of the polymer to within acceptable limits, they can also provide structural integrity and reinforcement to the polymer composite. Mineral filler fire retardants operate through endothermic decomposition with the release of an inert gas or vapor. Four fire retardant effects have been quantified: heat capacity of the filler, decomposition endotherm, heat capacity of the gas or vapor, and heat capacity of the residue. In specific fire scenarios, other factors, such as shielding from radiant heat, may also play a critical role. Unfortunately, the screening techniques for assessment of fire retardant performance do not adequately capture real fire behavior. The common techniques, and their deficiencies, in relation to mineral filler fire retardants are reviewed.
Keywords
References
Ashley RJ, Rothon RN (1991) Use of inorganic fillers to reduce the flammability of polymers. Plast Rubber Compos Process Appl 15:19–21
Babraukas V (2000) Fire test methods for evaluation of fire-retardant efficacy in polymeric materials. In: Grand AFWCA (ed) Fire retardancy of polymeric materials. CRC Press, New York
Beard A (2007) Flame retardants: frequently asked questions, s.l.: The European Flame Retardants Association
Bourbigot S et al (1999) Recent advances in the use of zinc borates in flame retardancy of EVA. Polym Degrad Stab 64:419–425
Bourbigot S, Samyn F, Turf T, Duquesne S (2010) Nanomorphology and reaction to fire of polyurethane and polyamide nanocomposites containing flame retardants. Polym Degrad Stab 95:320–326
Celzard A et al (2011) Flammability assessment of tannin-based cellular materials. Polym Degrad Stab 96:477–482
De Wit CA (2002) An overview of brominated flame retardants in the environment. Chemosphere 46:583–624
Delfosse L, Baillet C, Brault A, Brault D (1989) Combustion of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer filled with aluminium and magnesium hydroxides. Polym Degrad Stab 23:337–347
Freedonia Group (2016) World flame retardants. Available at: http://www.freedoniagroup.com/industry-study/3258/world-flame-retardants.htm. Accessed 29 July 2016
Herbert MJ (1994) Aluminium hydroxide for non-halogen compounds. Proceedings of Flame Retardants ’94. Interscience, London
Hewitt F, Rhebat DE, Witkowski A, Hull TR (2016) An experimental and numerical model for the release of acetone from decomposing EVA containing aluminium, magnesium or calcium hydroxide fire retardants. Polym Degrad Stab 127:65–78
Hollingbery LA, Hull TR (2010) The fire retardant behaviour of huntite and hydromagnesite – a review. Polym Degrad Stab 95:2213–2225
Hollingbery LA, Hull TR (2012) The fire retardant effects of Huntite in natural mixtures with hydromagnesite. Polym Degrad Stab 97:504–512
Hornsby PR, Watson CL (1990) A study of the mechanism of flame retardation and smoke suppression in polymers filled with magnesium-hydroxide. Polym Degrad Stab 30:73–87
Hughes P, Jackson GV, Rothon RN (1993) Particle morphology effects on the performance of PMMA filled with aluminium hydroxide in a variety of fire tests. Makromol Chem Macromol Symp 74:179–183
Hull TR et al (2003) An investigation into the decomposition and burning behaviour of Ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer nanocomposite materials. Polym Degrad Stab 82:365–371
Hull TR, Quinn RE, Areri IG, Purser DA (2002) Combustion toxicity of fire retarded EVA. Polym Degrad Stab 30:235–242
Hull TR, Stec AA, Nazare S (2009) Fire retardant effects of polymer nanocomposites. J Nanosci Nanotechnol 9:4478–4486
Hull TR, Witkowski A, Hollingbery L (2011) Fire retardant action of mineral fillers. Polym Degrad Stab 96:1462–1469
ISO 11358, I (1997) Plastics – Thermogravimetry (TG) of polymers – general principles, s.l.: s.n.
Janshekar H, Chinn H, Yang W,Ishikawa Y (2011) Flame retardants, s.l.: Specialty Chemicals, SRI consulting
Laachachi A et al (2009) A comparison of the role of boehmite (AlOOH) and alumina (Al2O3) in the thermal stability and flammability of poly(methyl methacrylate). Polym Degrad Stab 94:1373–1378
Laye PG (2002) Differential thermal analysis and differential scanning calorimetry. In: Haines PJ (ed) Principles of thermal analysis and calorimetry. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge
Li ZZ, Qu BJ (2003) Flammability characterization and synergistic effects of expandable graphite with magnesium hydroxide in halogen-free flame-retardant EVA blends. Polym Degrad Stab 81:401–408
Lyon RE, Walters RN (2004) Pyrolysis combustion flow calorimetry. J Anal Appl Pyrolysis 71:27–46
Lyon RE, Walters RN, Beach M, Schall FP (2007) Flammability screening of plastics containing flame retardant additives. ADDITIVES, 16th International Conference, San Antonio
Nelson MI, Brindley J (2000) Polymer combustion: effects of flame emissivity. Philos Trans R Soc A Math Phys Eng Sci 358:3655–3673
Ngohang FE, Fontaine G, Gay L, Bourbigot S (2014) Revisited investigation of fire behaviour of ethylene vinyl acetate/aluminium trihydroxide using a combination of mass loss cone, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and electrical low pressure impactor. Polym Degrad Stab 106:26–35
Patel P, Hull TR, Moffat C (2012) PEEK polymer flammability and the inadequacy of the UL-94 classification. Fire Mate 36:185–201
Price D et al (2002) Flame retardance of poly(methyl methacrylate) modified with phosphorus-containing compounds. Polym Degrad Stab 77:227–233
Quintiere JG (1997) Principles of fire behaviour. Delmar Publishers, New York
Rigolo M, Woodhams RT (1992) Basic magnesium carbonate flame retardants for polypropylene. Polym Eng Sci 32:327–334
Roskill Information Services Ltd (2014) Flame retardants: global industry, markets & outlook. s.n., London
Rothon RN (2003) Effects of particulate fillers on flame retardant properties of composites. In: Rothon RN (ed) Particulate-filled polymer composites, 2nd edn. Rapra Technology, Shawbury
Rothon RN, Hornsby PR (1990) A study of the mechanism of flame retardance and smoke suppression in polymers filled with magnesium hydroxide. Polym Degrad Stab 30:73–87
Rothon RN, Hornsby PR (1996) Flame retardant effects of magnesium hydroxide. Polym Degrad Stab 54:383–385
Schartel B, Hull TR (2007) Development of fire-retarded materials – interpretation of cone calorimeter data. Fire Mater 31:327–354
Schartel B, Weiss A (2010) Temperature inside burning polymer specimens: pyrolysis zone and shielding. Fire Mater 34:217–235
Schmaucks G, Friede B, Schreiner H, Roszinski JO (2009) Amorphous silicon dioxide as additive to improve the fire retardancy of polyamides. In: Hull TR, Kandola BK (eds) Fire retardancy of polymers – new strategies and mechanisms. Royal Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, pp 35–48
Shaw SD et al (2010) Halogenated flame retardants: do the fire safety benefits justify the health and environmental risks? Rev Environ Health 25:261–305
Sobolev I, Woychesin EA (1987) Alumina trihydrate. In: Katz HS, Milewski JV (eds) Handbook of fillers for plastics. Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York
Souza SP, Souza SH, Toledo SP (2000) Standard transition aluminas. Electron microscopy studies. Mater Res 3:104–114
Stoliarov SI, Safronava N, Lyon RE (2009) The effect of variation in polymer properties on the rate of burning. Fire Mater 33:257–271
Wang DY et al (2007) Fire retardancy of a reactively extruded intumescent flame retardant polyethylene system enhanced by metal chelates. Polym Degrad Stab 92:1592–1598
Wang D et al (2008) Effect of metal chelates on the ignition and early flaming behaviour of intumescent fire-retarded polyethylene systems. Polym Degrad Stab 93:1024–1030
Witkowski A, Stec AA, Hull TR (2012) The influence of metal hydroxide fire retardants and nanoclay on the thermal decomposition of EVA. Polym Degrad Stab 97:2231–2241
Yen Y, Wang H, Guo W (2012) Synergistic flame retardant effect of metal hydroxide and nanoclay in EVA composites. Polym Degrad Stab 97:863–869
Zhang H (2004) Fire-safe polymers and polymer composites. US Department of Transport, s.l
Zhang J et al (2010) Thermal stability and flame-retardancy mechanism of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/boehmite nanocomposites. Polym Degrad Stab 95:1211–1218
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany
About this entry
Cite this entry
Hewitt, F., Hull, T.R. (2016). Mineral Filler Fire Retardants. In: Palsule, S. (eds) Polymers and Polymeric Composites: A Reference Series. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_2-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37179-0_2-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37179-0
eBook Packages: Springer Reference Chemistry and Mat. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics