Bio-based fire retardant developed for industrial use
Polymeric material products are ubiquitous in various fields in day-to-day life, but almost all polymeric materials are flammable, which is a threat to user safety. Reducing flammability in polymeric materials requires new manufacturing approaches and new multifunctional materials. The EU-funded project ECOFIRE-NANO (New generation of eco-benign multifunctional layered double hydroxide (LDH)-based fire retardant and nanocomposites) was established to develop a new generation of bio-based LDH-based FRs with good anti-UV properties. Researchers applied an innovative molecular design, sophisticated synthesis and intelligent assembly to the task. As a novel multifunctional FR, the product integrates advantages from inorganic FRs, intumescent FRs and reactive FRs. The researchers improved the fire retardancy of polymeric materials, circumventing the drawback of traditional FRs to create novel functionality in the materials. The team sought to create a product that is sustainable, environmentally friendly and efficient, while providing smoke suppression and anti-UV properties. ECOFIRE-NANO discovered that the functional LDHs developed in the initial stage significantly improved flame retardancy in a prototype epoxy. The researchers found that using 6-8 % LDHs improved the flame retardancy of epoxy and with improved mechanical function. They showed that flame-retarding efficiency is much higher than that of the traditional flame retardants currently available. Further, adding functional LDHs to epoxy resin worked to reduce flammability in both the solid and gas phases. The team also investigated the flame-retarding effect of LDHs in polypropylene and wood polymer composites. They found that that such LDHs had an unexpected synergistic effect on flame retardancy. ECOFIRE-NANO successfully integrated anti-UV properties into their polymer-FR system. They also developed the first model to describe the FR mechanism in the polymer nanocomposite system. These results pave the way for the development of LDH-based high-efficiency FR polymers. The results provide a pathway to industrial application of FR polymers for enhanced fire safety and UV protection.
Keywords
Bio-based, fire retardant, flammability, ECOFIRE-NANO, layered double hydroxide, anti-UV
