Abstract
The worldwide applications of polyurethane (PU) and polystyrene (PS) sponge materials have been causing massive non-renewable resource consumption and huge loss of property and life due to its high flammability. Finding a biodegradable and regenerative sponge material with desirable thermal and flame retardant properties remains challenging to date. In this study, bio-based, renewable calcium alginate hybrid sponge materials (CAS) with high thermal stability and flame retardancy were fabricated through a simple, eco-friendly, in situ, chemical-foaming process at room temperature, followed by a facile and economical post-cross-linking method to obtain the organic-inorganic (CaCO3) hybrid materials. The microstructure of CAS showed desirable porous networks with a porosity rate of 70.3%, indicating that a great amount of raw materials can be saved to achieve remarkable cost control. The sponge materials reached a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 39, which was greatly improved compared with common sponge. Moreover, with only 5% calcium carbonate content, the initial thermal degradation temperature of CAS was increased by 70 °C (from 150 to 220 °C), compared to that of calcium alginate, which met the requirements of high-temperature resistant and nonflammable materials. The thermal degradation mechanism of CAS was supposed based on the experimental data. The combined results suggest promising prospects for the application of CAS in a range of fields and the sponge materials provide an alternative for the commonly used PU and PS sponge materials.
Highlights
The development of alginate has been arousing continuous interests as alginate is widely used in many industries, including food, textile printing, paper manufacture, wound dressings, and drug formulation, due to its low toxic, desirable mechanical and biocompatible properties [1,2]
The tested data of the mechanical and porosity properties for calcium alginate hybrid sponge materials (CAS), which are listed in Table 1, suggest a well fabricated sponge material
The oxygen concentration (OXY) for calcium alginate (CA) exhibited a sharp decrease after 25 s and the maximum decreasing peak value appeared at 150 s lasting to about 200 s, suggesting that oxygen participated in the combustion reaction, resulting in a strong exothermic reaction, especially in the range of 130 to 180 s
Summary
The development of alginate has been arousing continuous interests as alginate is widely used in many industries, including food, textile printing, paper manufacture, wound dressings, and drug formulation, due to its low toxic, desirable mechanical and biocompatible properties [1,2]. It is of great importance to find an ideal alternative desirable thermal and flame retardant properties that is regenerative and biodegradable. A number material with desirable thermal and flame retardant properties that is regenerative and of experimental A methods sponge or foam with thermal properties biodegradable. Numberfor ofpreparing experimental methods formaterials preparing sponge or insulation foam materials with. −20 thermal insulation properties have been reported, the necessary freeze drying process demands and high energycostly consumption [23,24,25]. Chemical foaming method to prepare alginate hybrid shortcomings, sponge materials room temperature. In in situ order to overcome the aforementioned we at reported on a simple chemical foaming in situ method to prepare alginate hybrid sponge materials at room temperature. Cone calorimeter (CONE), and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (Py-GC/MS)
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