Fire-retardant fillers thermal effects

Aluminium hydroxide is essentially non-toxic, but does require high addition levels to be effective. As a result, the physical properties of the compound usually suffer. Its fire retardancy action results from the endothermic reaction which releases water under fire conditions and produces a protective char . The endothermic reaction draws heat from the rubber/filler mass and thus reduces the thermal decomposition rate. The water release dilutes the available fuel supply, cooling the rubber surface and mass. 

Furthermore, the effect of hydrated fillers on polymer fire retardancy will depend not only on the nature of the filler, including its particle characteristics (size, shape, and purity) and decomposition behavior, but also on the degradation mechanism of the polymer, together with any filler/ polymer interactions that might occur, influencing thermal stability of the polymer and possible char formation. 

This represents the key aspect of polymer fire retardancy using hydrated fillers, and involves energy changes that occur on the decomposition of the filler, related heat capacity effects, which influence the degradation profile of the polymer and thermal barrier formation resulting from the residue remaining from degraded filler. 

The fire-retardant mechanism associated with nanoclays has recently been studied and is likely to involve the formation of a ceramic skin which catalyzes char formation by thermal dehydrogenation of the host polymer to produce a conjugated polyene structure. " The nanocomposite structure present in the resulting char appears to enhance the performance of the char through reinforcement of the char layer. These effects would explain the apparent fire-retardant synergy observed when nanoclays are incorporated into polymer formulations containing condensed phase fire-retardant systems, including coated fillers. 

Before discussing the special effects of fillers that are active fire retardants, it is useful to recognise that the addition of any particulate, non-combustible, filler to polymers can considerably affect their thermal stability, resistance to ignition and combustion, and the amount and nature of the combustion gases in terms of smoke, corrosion and toxicity. The main general effects are ... 

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