Abstract
Ceramifiable flame-retardant ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer composites for wire and cable sheathing materials were prepared through melt compounding with ammonium polyphosphate (APP), aluminum hydroxide (ATH) and fluorophlogopite mica as the addition agents. The effects of ammonium polyphosphate, alumina trihydrate, and APP/ATH hybrid on the flame retardant, as well as on the thermal and ceramifiable properties of EVA composites, were investigated. The results demonstrated that the composites with the ratio of APP:ATH = 1:1 displayed the best flame retardancy and the greatest char residues among the various EVA composites. The tensile strength of the composites was 6.8 MPa, and the residue strength sintered at 1000 °C reached 5.2 MPa. The effect of sintering temperature on the ceramifiable properties, microstructures, and crystalline phases of the sintered specimen was subsequently investigated through X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscopy. The XRD and FTIR results demonstrated that the crystal structure of mica was disintegrated, while magnesium orthophosphate (Mg3(PO4)2) was simultaneously produced at an elevated temperature, indicating that the ceramization of EVA composites had occurred. The SEM results demonstrated that a more continuous and compact microstructure was produced with the rise in the sintering temperature. This contributed to the flexural strength improvement of the ceramics.
Highlights
Ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) are widely utilized in daily applications, such as buildings, furniture, cable jacketing, and shoes, due to the corresponding excellent electrical insulation, good processing capability, and molding properties [1,2,3,4]
A novel ceramifiable flame‐retardant ethylene‐vinyl acetate (EVA) composite with good flame retardancy and superior ceramifiable properties was successfully prepared through a simple melt‐
Retardancy and superior ceramifiable properties was successfully prepared through a simple melt‐
Summary
Ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA) are widely utilized in daily applications, such as buildings, furniture, cable jacketing, and shoes, due to the corresponding excellent electrical insulation, good processing capability, and molding properties [1,2,3,4]. EVA resins are flammable, similar to most polyolefin materials, due to the corresponding chemical compositions, which dramatically limit applications in the wire and cable industry. It is imperative to improve the flame retardancy of EVA. The mechanical strength of expansion char layer is quite low and the final material cannot sustain the impact of an external force, which results in fires. A new kind of ceramifiable EVA composite can meet the demand in special fields, such as construction building, power transmission, and fireproof sheaths for cables.
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