In
the functionalization of transparent polycarbonate (PC), the
addition of additives often results in damage to the transparency
of polycarbonate, thereby limiting its application in the field with
a high transparent requirement. In this study, sulfonate-group-containing
polymeric polyamide SK was synthesized and employed as a functional
agent for PC. The results demonstrated that the SK significantly improved
the fire safety of PC. 1.0 wt % SK endowed PC with a UL-94 V-0 rating
and a limiting oxygen index of 30.4%; compared with that of neat PC,
the maximum smoke density (Dsmax) and the peak of heat
release rate (PHRR) for 1.0 wt % SK-blended PC were decreased by 21%
and 39%, respectively. More importantly, the transparency of the original
PC was maintained at 86.4% after incorporation of 1.0 wt % SK, showing
only a slight reduction. Here, excellent flame retardancy is ascribed
to the synergistic effect of SK-caused physical cross-linking and
carbonization. While, high transparency is attributed to the amorphous
nature of SK and its good compatibility with PC. This work demonstrates
that SK is an efficient polymeric functional agent for fabricating
transparent and flame-retardant PC and provides another idea for designing
a sulfonate-group-containing flame retardant differing from traditional
sulfonates for PC.
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