Abstract

The extemporaneous combustion of coal remains a major threat to safety in coal mines because such fire accidents result in casualties and significant property loss, as well as serious environmental pollution. This work proposed the fabrication of flame-retardant rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) containing expandable graphite as char expander/sealant with melamine phosphosphate and 2-carboxyethyl (phenyl)phosphinic acid as char inducer and radical trapping agents. The as-prepared RPUF successfully inhibited coal combustion by forming thermally stable high graphitic content expandable intumescent char sealing over the coal. The RPUF achieved UL-94 V-0 rating in addition to significant reductions in peak heat release, total heat release, and CO and CO2 yields. The external and the internal residual char structure was studied by X-ray photoelectron spectra, Raman spectroscopy, and real-time Fourier transform infrared spectra techniques, and a flame-retardant mode of action has been proposed. This work provides important insight into a facile fabrication of highly efficient and economical flame-retardant RPUF to inhibit the spontaneous combustion of coal.

Highlights

  • Polyurethanes (PUs) are some of the most versatile materials of the 21st century with wide applications in upholstered furniture, wall insulation, roofs, appliances, medical devices, footwear, coatings, adhesives, and sealants

  • The thermo-oxidative properties of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) and its flame retarded composites were studied under air, and the related results are shown in Figure 2 and Table 2

  • The results indicate that the flame retarded RPUF manufactured with a proper loading of CEPPG, expandable graphite (EG), melamine phosphate (MP), and fly ash (FA) is highly effective for reducing the spontaneous fire hazard associated with coal combustion

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Summary

Introduction

Polyurethanes (PUs) are some of the most versatile materials of the 21st century with wide applications in upholstered furniture, wall insulation, roofs, appliances, medical devices, footwear, coatings, adhesives, and sealants. Among the several derivatives of PU, rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) is the more attractive due to its physico-chemical properties such as low thermal conductivity and density, high abrasion resistance, and good shock absorption [4,5]. Despite the attractive properties of RPUF, Polymers 2019, 11, 1776; doi:10.3390/polym11111776 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers. The urge to improve the flame-retardant properties of RPUF has received significant attention over the last few decades [8,9,10,11]. Though halogen containing flame retardants (FRs) are the most promising additives for RPUF, their adverse health effect far outweighs their perceived flame-retardant significance [9,12,13,14,15]

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