Flame Retardant Properties and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene with Halogen and Halogen-Free Flame Retardant System

In this study, to improve the flame retardancy properties of polypropylene, DBDPE/Sb2O3 and DBDPE/HBCD/Sb2O3 flame retardant systems were used for flame retardant PP, and a halogen-free flame retardant PP material was prepared using the one-component intumescent flame retardant PNP1D. Tensile tests, impact tests, ultimate oxygen index, UL94V-0 vertical combustion, thermogravimetric analysis, rheological analysis and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the flame retardant properties and mechanical properties of the flame retardant PP. The test results show that both the ultimate oxygen index of DBDPE/Sb2O3 compounded flame retardant PP and the ultimate oxygen index of PNP1D flame retardant PP are nearly double that of pure PP, passing the UL-94V-0 flame retardant standard. The thermal decomposition temperature range of DBDPE/Sb2O3 compounded system and the thermal decomposition temperature range of PNP1D flame retardant PP both completely cover the thermal decomposition temperature range of both the DBDPE/Sb2O3 compound system and PNP1D flame retardant PP completely covered the thermal decomposition temperature range of pure PP. The tensile and impact strength of the DBDPE/Sb2O3 flame retardant system with 10% SK-80 is 50% higher than that of the DBDPE/Sb2O3 flame retardant system without SK-80. The modified PP with 25% PNP1D is nearly 1 time higher than pure PP in terms of carbon formation and has an ideal flame retardant effect.

The viscoelastic properties of a halogen-free polymer composition, for cable products

The viscoelastic properties of a halogen-free polymer composition for cable products have been investigated. The influence of temperature parameters, shear rate on the die-swell ratio of the polymer composition has been determined; the dependence of the melt density on a temperature was investigated. The polymer matrix is a mixture of polyolefins (linear low density polyethylene; polyolefin elastomer and maleic anhydride modified linear low density polyethylene) as a flame retardant filler for the polymer composition is trihydrate alumina. The content of flame retardant filler in the polymer composition is 60 %. The polymer composition was manufactured on the compounding line of X-Compound, Switzerland. The investigation of both melt density and die-swell ratio of the polymer composition has been conducted with help of capillary viscometer type IIRT-AM. To determine the density of the melt the ratio of capillary length to diameter L/D=8/2 was used. The results of the study of the dependence of the melt density of the polymer matrix from a temperature of 150–190 °C at different loads showed that this parameter decreases from 789 to 744 kg/m3 and for polymer composition from 1309 to 1268 kg/m3. The die-swell ratio in the case of an increase of the shear rate at temperatures of 150–190°C for the polymer matrix increases from 1,102 to 1,520, and for the polymer composition decreases from 1,056 to 1,018. The investigation results of the dependence of both die-swell ratio of the polymer matrix and the polymer composition on the ratio of the length of the forming tool to the diameter indicates that the die-swell ratio for the polymer matrix was reduced from 1,296 to 1,152, and for the polymer composition from 1,045 to 1,01. It was established that the viscoelastic properties of the halogen-free polymer composition are significantly influenced by: processing temperature, shear rate, melt density, the ratio of the length of the forming tool to the diameter. The research results give a possibility for a reasonable approach for the determination of technological parameters of an insulation, sheathing of power cables and optical cables of microtube construction. It will also allow to quickly adjust the geometrical parameters of the forming tool of cable heads.

Bio-Based Bisbenzoxazines with Flame Retardant Linker

This work explores the strategy of incorporating a highly substituted reactive flame retardant into a benzoxazine moiety. For this purpose, a DOPO-based flame retardant received a chain extension via reaction with ethylene carbonate. It was then reacted with phloretic acid to obtain a diphenol end-capped molecule, and further reacted with furfurylamine and paraformaldehyde to obtain a benzoxazine monomer via a Mannich-like ring closure reaction. This four-step synthesis yielded a partly bio-based halogen-free flame retardant benzoxazine monomer (DOPO-PA-fa). The successful synthesis was proven via NMR, IR and MS analysis. The polymerization behavior was monitored by DSC and rheological analysis both showing the polymerization starts at 200 °C to yield pDOPO-PA-fa. pDOPO-PA-fa has a significant thermal stability with a residual mass of 30% at 800 °C under ambient atmosphere. Furthermore, it reached a V-0 rating against small flames and an OI of 35%. Blended with other benzoxazines, it significantly improves their thermal stability and fire resistance. It emphasizes its potential as flame retardant agent.

Model of deformation growth dynamics during filled polymer materials mechanical tests under cable production conditions

With the introduction into highly filled halogen-free plastics production, the mechanical strength of which in operation directly depends on the flame retardant content and application technology, it becomes important to control the cable sheath mechanical characteristics in a fireproof design. Polymeric materials and their compositions are viscoelastic materials for which the mechanical properties depend on the stress time. The results of estimating the deformation samples rate elongation from the uniaxial stretching time at different dilution rates of the clamps in the mechanical characteristics determining process for halogen-free cable plastics in regulatory tests under production conditions are presented. It is shown that the inner and outer layers of the halogen-free plastic cable sheath have significantly different values of the plasticity normative parameter: differences evidence in the polymer structure in the inner and outer layers of the sheath due to the forced deformation process during extrusion, which is forced polymer structure orientation. Elongation relative deformation experimental dependences δL(t) of the samples on the uniaxial stretching time at different clamps dilution speeds are given, which illustrate confirmed by a large data array the dependencies shape reproducibility δL(t) for different in structure similar filled halogen-free polymers. The strain rate dependence model on tensile time as the sum of instantaneous-elastic, viscoelastic and instantaneous-plastic (irreversible) is proposed: dε/dt = λпр exp ( – t/λпр) + {∫ λ1 exp(–τ/λ1).exp[–(t–τ)/λ2]dτ]}/Δt. The appropriate parameter estimates of the named samples deformation components obtained by approximating the experimental data by the proposed model are given. The proposed model, firstly, explains the presence characteristic relative deformation maximum (t = tm) as a two interdependent deformation processes superposition with different aftermath λ. Secondly, it allows to specify the requirements for testing: with increasing the clamps dilution speed, the maximum time tm decreases significantly, respectively, the higher the clamps dilution speed, the smaller interval time Δt between a successive sample control section length measurements. This conclusion was experimentally confirmed for a specific material at a speed of 250 mm/min