Investigation of the mechanical and flame retardant properties of carbon fiber modified phenolic epoxy resin

Abstract

Epoxy resin and carbon fiber were used as the reinforcement to modify phenolic resin. Phenolic epoxy resin was prepared by physical blending, and carbon fiber was introduced into the resin matrix, and meanwhile the curing agent was added. The flame retardancy and thermal stability of the samples were evaluated, and the mechanical performance of the samples was characterized to investigate the overall performance. The flame retardancy of phenolic epoxy resin decreased slightly with epoxy resin of 5 wt%. The oxygen index was decreased by 6.3%, the ignition time was shortened by 66 s, and the peak heat release rate was increased by 8.9%. The tensile strength and elastic modulus were increased by 46% and 26.1%, respectively. The flame retardant and mechanical properties of phenolic epoxy resin were improved the most with short carbon fiber of 0.5 wt%. The oxygen index was increased by 4.6%, the ignition time was delayed by 35 s, the peak heat release rate was reduced by 18.9%, the carbon residue rate at 800℃ was increased by 60.4%, the apparent activation energy was increased by 11.3%, and the tensile strength and elastic modulus were improved by 90.4% and 87.9%, respectively.

Enhanced mechanical performance of cellulose nanocrystal doped eco-friendly calcium-alginate based bio-composite fiber with superior flame retardancy

“…Environmentally friendly material for fire-fighting uniforms, with good flame retardancy, fabric comfort, and light weight, is increasingly in demand, and would ensure its utilization in special operational conditions. 1,2 Current fire-fighting clothes are mostly fabricated using petroleum-based synthetic fibers such as polybenzimidazole fiber, 3 Nomex fiber, 4 and polytetrafluoroethylene fiber, 5 or are treated with a flame-retardant finishing agent, [6][7][8] which can cause unnecessary heavy weight and irritating tickling. Therefore, addressing existing hurdles would not only increase wear comfort for the fire-fighter, but also reduce the problems caused by the fire-resistant finish.…”