Hydrophobic and Flame-Retardant Foam Based on Cellulose

Amal H Abdel Kader,Sawsan Dacrory,Hussein Abou-Yousef,Tawfik A Khattab,Samir Kamel

doi:10.1007/s10924-021-02355-4

Amal H Abdel Kader, Sawsan Dacrory + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-021-02355-4

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Abstract

A study aimed to prepare cellulose-based hydrophobic, lightweight, and flame retardant foam composites. Cellulose was activated by phosphoric acid followed by blending with dolomite clay of different loading ratios. Gelatin/tannin as an adhesive system was used as a binder. A solution of the environmentally friendly silicone rubber (RTV) was applied onto foam samples via spray-coating to improve their water repealing performance, which was explored by investigating both of water contacting angle and wettability time of the coated foam samples. Flammability characteristics, thermal decomposition, surface morphology, and chemical structure of treated and untreated foams were investigated by flammability test, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier-transform infrared. The fire retardancy of foam composites was optimized at low and medium loading of dolomite. Also, the addition of RTV improved the hydrophobicity of composites maintained the fire retardancy of composites with medium loading.

Highlights

Cellulose and its derivatives have various and important applications in a wide range of fields, such as textiles, paper industry, medicine, ink, and paints.[1,2,3,4]
A series of lightweight, hydrophobic, and fire retardant foams were fabricated through activation of cellulose by phosphoric acid as a primarily step
Dolomite clay was embedded onto the cellulosic suspensions with gelatin/ tannin as adhesive followed by freeze drying process

Summary

Introduction

Cellulose and its derivatives have various and important applications in a wide range of fields, such as textiles, paper industry, medicine, ink, and paints.[1,2,3,4]. The preparation of cellulosic foam is dependent on the combination of cellulose substrate with inorganics materials e.g., clays, oxides [9] or/and organics e.g. carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide[10] The varieties of such combinations can produce various hybrid foam composites having distinctive properties with specific functionalities such as high compressive strength [11], thermal insulation[7], magnetic and conducting properties[11]. The flame retardant properties of cellulose-based freeze casting foam are enhanced by TEMPO modification of cellulose substrate in blending with boric acid and sepiolite clay (a micro fibrous magnesium silicate). RTV exhibits high resistance to chemicals, acids and bases, ageing and high temperatures It is characterized with excellent thermal stress and mechanical properties, low shrinking, as well as low viscosity and high hardness. Characterization of foam composites could be investigated by using FTIR, SEM, EDX, TGA, hydrophobic measurements, and flammability properties

Materials And Methods

And Discussion

Findings

Conclusions