Abstract
Significant improvement in the fire resistance of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) while ensuring its mechanical properties is a tremendous challenge. A novel flame retardant (GO-HCCP, graphene oxide-hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene) was synthesized by nucleophilic substitution of the graphene oxide (GO) and hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) and then applied in PET by an in situ polymerization technique. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed a better dispersion of GO-HCCP than GO in the PET matrix. The char yield at 700 °C increased by 32.5% with the addition of GO-HCCP. Moreover, the peak heat release rate (pHRR), peak smoke produce rate (pSPR)and carbon monoxide production (COP)values significantly decreased by 26.0%, 16.7% and 37.5%, respectively, which indicates the outstanding fire and smoke suppression of GO-HCCP. In addition, the composites exhibited higher elastic modulus and tensile strength without compromising the toughness of PET matrix. These significantly reduced fire hazards properties are mainly attributed to the catalytic carbonation of HCCP and the barrier effect of GO. Thus, PET composites with good flame-retardant and mechanical properties were prepared, which provides a new strategy for further flame retardant PET preparation.
Highlights
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plays an important part in many fields, including the clothing industry, films and home furnishings, due to its outstanding properties, including outstanding impact strength, high flexibility, good wrinkle resistance, comfort while wearing, etc. [1,2,3,4]
Compared to graphene oxide (GO) and HCCP, the new absorptions band at 1032 and 835 cm−1 appeared due to stretch vibration of P-OC in GO-HCCP, which indicated that GO had been successfully grafted by HCCP
The interaction between GO and HCCP was confirmed by X-ray diffraction patterns (XRD) (Figure 3b)
Summary
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plays an important part in many fields, including the clothing industry, films and home furnishings, due to its outstanding properties, including outstanding impact strength, high flexibility, good wrinkle resistance, comfort while wearing, etc. [1,2,3,4]. Wang [22,23,24] and his colleagues made great progress in anti-dropping and flame-retardant properties of PET by introducing phosphorus-containing ionic monomers into the PET backbone; these composites can achieve a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 36%, and UL-94 can reach V-0 rating. Preparing flame-retardant PET while ensuring its mechanical properties remains a great challenge. N atoms connected by single and double bonds This structure with high phosphorus and nitrogen content endows HCCP great potential in flame retardancy. When graphene oxide (GO) grafted with HCCP was adopted as the flame retardant in PET, the break in the PET chain is believed to be suppressed due to the passivation of HCCP functional groups. The mechanism for flame-retardant was put forward
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