Polycarbonate composite foams with excellent flame retardancy and ablation resistance

• Published in: Composites. Part A, Applied science and manufacturing Vol. 186; p. 108432
• Main Authors: Li, Niexin, Li, Yongjiang, Zhu, Yue, Zhang, Jinwen, Liu, Jie, Jiang, Zhiwei, Li, Minggang, Tang, Tao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.11.2024
• Subjects: A Foams; A Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); B Flame/fire retardancy; B Mechanical properties; A Foams; A Polymer-matrix composites (PMCs); B Flame/fire retardancy; B Mechanical properties
• ISSN: 1359-835X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2024.108432

•A simple and efficient strategy for preparing PC composite foam was demonstrated.•The prepared PC-EG composite foam had excellent mechanical properties, flame retardancy and ablative resistance.•The performance of the foam materials with different shape can be customized by changing the mold shape and the type of filler. It is a challenge to prepare flame-retardant polycarbonate (PC) foam. Here, PC composite foams exhibiting excellent flame retardancy and ablation resistance were successfully fabricated by the in-mold foaming and molding (IFMF) technique combining with coating flame retardants onto the surface of PC particles. It was found that the expansion ratio of PC composite foam was influenced by both the mold filling ratio and foaming conditions. When incorporated with 5 wt% expanded graphite (EG), PC-EG composite foam exhibited a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 34.3 %, and V-0 rating in UL-94 test, as well as a significant decrease in the peak of heat release rate (PHRR) and the peak of smoke production rate (PSPR). This composite foam was not burned through after 360 s of flame burning by the flame gun, and the back temperature was only about 75 °C, showing excellent flame retardancy and ablation resistance. Finally, the morphology and characteristics of the PC composite foam could also be tailored by modifying the mold design and filler selection, which offers valuable possibility to the development of high-performance polymer composite foams.