The effect of expanded graphite/clay nanoparticles on thermal, rheological, and fire‐retardant properties of poly(butylene succinate)

Abstract

In this study, the effect of clay nanoparticles on the flame retardancy, thermal stability, thermal degradation kinetics and rheological properties of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/expanded graphite (EG) composites were investigated. The composites were prepared by melt blending, followed by melt compression. The results indicated that the presence of clay, improved the dispersion of the EG, as confirmed by exhibited significant increases in the rheological properties (storage modulus (G 0 ), loss modulus (G 00 ) and complex viscosity (η)) when compared to the pristine PBS. The presence of Cloisite 15 A organoclay, however, decreased the overall thermal stability of the composite material, due to its catalytic effect. The degradation kinetics revealed that the presence of EG can impede the clay's catalytic effect on the degradation process of PBS. Based on the comparison between PBS and PBS/EG composites, the flame retardancy improved after the addition of clay due to formation of char, which acted as barrier layer against heat, oxygen, and flammable gases.

A Review on Bast-Fibre-Reinforced Hybrid Composites and Their Applications

“…Most hybrid composite applications require them to meet certain fire regulatory criteria in order to ensure public safety [ 5 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 ]. To examine the combustion performance of different hybrid products, a wide variety of techniques can be employed, depending on the desired application.…”

“…To examine the combustion performance of different hybrid products, a wide variety of techniques can be employed, depending on the desired application. Cone calorimetry is often used for simulation of real-life situations [ 4 , 106 , 107 ]. It provides useful data related to combustion of materials, such as heat release rate (HRR), total smoke release (TSR), carbon dioxide production (CO 2 P), total heat release (THR), and smoke production rate (SPR).…”

“…For instance, pHRR provides essential data based on the intensity of the fire, viz., higher pHRR values indicate a major fire hazard. Owing to the high flammability of polymeric materials and natural fibres, different additional fillers can be incorporated to improve their flame-retardant properties [ 4 , 5 , 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 ]. Table 6 summarises the results obtained for bast-fibre-based hybrid composites.…”

Water Hyacinth Fiber as a Bio-Based Carbon Source for Intumescent Flame-Retardant Poly (Butylene Succinate) Composites

“…Many flame retardants have been investigated for their efficiency in enhancing the flame retardancy of PBS. These included inorganic (nano) particles such as magnesium hydroxide [8], carbon black [9], molybdenum disulfide [10], expandable graphite [11], nano clay [12], lignin [13][14][15], and intumescent flame-retardant systems [16,17].…”

Enhancing mechanical, thermal property and flame retardancy of optical polythiourethane with self‐assembly phosphazene nanoparticles

“…Recently, high-performance polymers have developed rapidly. Several strategies for individually enhancing certain properties of materials have emerged; these include adding high strength inorganic nanoparticles and flame retardants to enhance the mechanical strength and flame retardancy, [33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42] and introducing sulfur, phosphorus atoms and benzene rings to improve refractive index. [43][44][45][46] Sulfur-containing and phosphorus-nitrogen-containing polymers have been extensively developed due to the inherent excellent optical and flame-retardant properties of phosphorus, sulfur and nitrogen.…”