Improved fire retardancy of thermoset composites modified with carbon nanofibers

Abstract

Multifunctional thermoset composites were made from polyester resin, glass fiber mats and carbon nanofiber sheets (CNS). Their flaming behavior was investigated with cone calorimeter under well-controlled combustion conditions. The heat release rate was lowered by pre-planting carbon nanofiber sheets on the sample surface with the total fiber content of only 0.38 wt.%. Electron microscopy showed that carbon nanofiber sheet was partly burned and charred materials were formed on the combusting surface. Both the nanofibers and charred materials acted as an excellent insulator and/or mass transport barrier, improving the fire retardancy of the composite. This behavior agrees well with the general mechanism of fire retardancy in various nanoparticle-thermoplastic composites.

Thermal degradation and fire behaviour of unsaturated polyesters filled with metallic oxides

“…Combining oMMT with flame retardants such as ammonium polyphosphate and smoke suppressants can lead to a synergistic effect and a noteworthy improved thermal behaviour [4]. Carbon nanofibres were also used to reduce the flammability of UPR [5].…”

Development of knitted reinforced structures with self-diagnostic function for composite applications

“…Carbon fiber is the majorly used material in textile-based composites exhibiting novel properties in the end applications of developed composites. 50 In the research carbon fiber has been utilized due to its good electrical conductivity as for structural health monitoring, electrical resistance analysis and measurement is a major concern. Unsaturated polyester is a condensation polymer formed via chemical reaction of polyols and alcohol/hydroxyl functional groups containing organic compounds with the unsaturated dibasic acid.…”

Carbon/Phenolic Nanocomposites as Advanced Thermal Protection Material in Aerospace Applications

“…Figures 8, 9, and 10 show the clean appearance of MWCNT embedded in charred surface. These embedded MWCNT reemits large amount of incident radiation into gas phase during pyrolysis reaction, which led to decreased heat transfer into the inner layers [23,24]. Also, it can be inferred from the images that intensity of these MWCNT in charred surfaces increased with increase in the MWCNT wt%.…”