Enhancement of fire retardancy properties of glass fibre–reinforced polyesters composites. (21st June 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: de Freitas Rocha, Monique Amaro; Landesmann, Alexandre; da Silva Ribeiro, Simone Pereira; Martins, Raíssa Carvalho
• Is Part Of: Fire and materials. Volume 43:Number 6(2019)
• Page Start: 734
• Page End: 746
• Publication Date: 2019-06-21
• Subjects: fire retardancy -- GFRP -- heat release -- polyester composites -- polymer‐matrix composites -- reaction to fire; Fire-testing -- Periodicals; Fire -- Periodicals; Materials -- Periodicals; 620.11217
• DOI: 10.1002/fam.2733
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0308-0501

Abstract

Summary: This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the fire retardancy properties of glass fibre–reinforced polyester (GFRP) composites with bisphenol‐A vinylester and isophthalic polyester as matrices and low electrical conductivity E‐glass fibres as reinforcement. The fire protection systems tested were alumina trihydrate (ATH), decabromodiphenyl ether (DBDE), and antimony trioxide (Sb2 O3 ). A mass loss cone calorimeter was used to obtain the properties of heat release rate (HRR), peak HRR, total heat released, total mass loss, time to ignition, and time of combustion. Moreover, limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL‐94, and glow‐wire tests were also performed. The fire tests were carried out in order to investigate if the combination of ATH and DBDE could have "additive, " "antagonistic, " or "synergistic" effects on the flame retardant properties of the GFRP studied in this work. In addition, the influence of the ATH content variation on flame retardant properties was also evaluated. The results indicate that the sole addition of ATH at 47.7 phr could lead to the complete inhibition of the composites ignition, while the materials containing DBDE exhibit ignition and flame propagation in the cone calorimeter test.