Title

Fire Performance Of Composite Laminates Coated With Hybrid Carbon Nanofiber Paper

Abstract

Exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) were used to improve the flame resistant performance of glass fiber reinforced polyester composites. Along with xGnP, traditional intumescent fire retardant, APP was added into the polymer matrix as a dominant additive in order to reduce the heat release rate (HRR) and total heat released (THR) of the composites. The cone calorimeter tests results indicate that the optimum concentration of xGnP and APP is 3 wt% and 17 wt%, respectively. Associated with the optimum weight ratio, a synergistic effect between xGnP and APP is demonstrated. The flame resistant performance of the nanocomposites was further improved by coating xGnP dominant carbon nanofiber (CNF)/xGnP hybrid nanopaper onto the surface of the samples. Comparing to the control sample, the integration of the HRR (THR) from 0 to 100s of the sample coated with the nanopaper of CNF/xGnP=1/3 shows more than 30% decrease in THR. Based on the results of mass loss, the coating also significantly enhances the structural stability of the samples under fire condition, which is critical to the mechanical properties of composites. It is found that the thermal properties and permeability of composites and char formation play important roles in determining the fire behavior of the composites. Furthermore, another type of hybrid nanopaper was evaluated in this paper where the presence of APP within paper would serve as blow agent to further improve the fire retardant effectiveness of hybrid paper, i.e. the pristine glass fiber reinforced polyester composites were coated with Carbon Nanofiber/Clay/APP (CCA) paper and Carbon Nanofiber/xGnP/APP (CXA) paper when they were exposed to heat flux during cone calorimeter test (the pristine group). The test results show that both heat release rates and mass loss are significantly reduced. For the samples coated with CXA papers, their time to ignition (TTI) was prolonged by 45% compare to the samples without the coating. After the samples were exposed to heat for various time periods, their post fire mechanical properties were determined by three-point bending tests. The results show that the samples coated with the hybrid nanopapers exhibit more than 20% improvement in mechanical resistance at the early stage of combustion. The mechanism of hybrid carbon nanofiber papers protecting the underlying composites structure is discussed in this study.

Publication Date

8-30-2011

Publication Title

International SAMPE Technical Conference

Number of Pages

-

Document Type

Article; Proceedings Paper

Personal Identifier

scopus

Socpus ID

80052051297 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/80052051297

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