Improvement of the fire behaviour of composite materials for naval application

• Published in: Polymer degradation and stability Vol. 64; no. 3; pp. 397 - 401
• Main Authors: Le Lay, F., Gutierrez, J.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.01.1999; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Ageing; Applied sciences; Compounding ingredients; Cone calorimeter; Exact sciences and technology; Fireproof agents; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Halogenated resin; Laminates; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers; Cone calorimeter; Halogenated resin; Ageing; Performance evaluation; Aluminium Hydroxides; Vinyl ester resin; Laminate; Thermal ageing; Ester polymer; Fiber reinforced material; Bromine containing polymer; Flame retardant; Experimental study; Antimony Oxides; Composite material; Thermosetting resin; Thermal properties; Additive; Smoke emission; Zinc Hydroxostannates; Glass fiber fabric; Flammability; Artificial ageing; Chlorine containing polymer; Woven material
• ISSN: 0141-3910; 1873-2321
• DOI: 10.1016/S0141-3910(98)00140-2

This paper review the work performed by Direction des Constructions Navales (DCN) on composite laminates made of glass woven roving and polyester or vinylester halogenated resins with and without halogen synergists. Some of these materials have been aged in water because the applications for these composites could be in external structures of warships. Cone calorimeter tests have been carried out in order to evaluate the flammability of these materials, their thermal degradation properties and smoke production during combustion. Before ageing, the fire behaviour of the halogenated resin based composites, especially those with halogen synergists, was better than that of standard polyester and vinylester based composites, even those filled with alumina trihydrate, with the exception of the smoke production. The accelerated ageing in salt water at 70°C modifies the fire behaviour of the materials: the maximum heat released by the standard vinylester composite slightly increased. It decreased in the case of the brominated composite. The specific surface of extinction of the brominated composites (with and without synergists) increased at the beginning of the ageing and decreased after.