Microscale Combustion Calorimetry Test Research Articles

N, P co‐doped carbon quantum dot and ammonium polyphosphate as the synergistic flame retardant for epoxy resin

AbstractAn N, P co‐doped carbon quantum dot (NP‐CQD) was prepared using citric acid as the carbon source and hexachlorotripolyphosphonitrile as the nitrogen and phosphorus source. The structure and morphology of NP‐CQD were characterized. Subsequently, NP‐CQD was blended with ammonium polyphosphate (APP) to come into being a synergistic phosphorus‐nitrogen flame retardant system (SPFRS). The SPFRS was applied in epoxy resin (EP) to enhance the flame retardancy of EP. Thermal stability, flame retardancy, combustion behavior, and char residue morphology of the EP samples were determined by multiple testing methods such as thermogravimetric analysis, vertical burning (UL‐94) and limiting oxygen index (LOI) tests, microscale combustion calorimetry test, and scanning electron microscopy. When the weight ratio of NP‐CQD to APP was kept at 1:9 and 8% SPFRS was added to EP, the obtained flame‐retardant EP (EP/CQD‐APP2:18) passed the UL‐94 V‐0 level and the LOI value of EP/CQD‐APP2:18 reached 33.2%. The MCC test showed that the heat release capacity (HRC) of EP/CQD‐APP2:18 was reduced by 48.7% compared with pure EP. Morphology observation on the char residue of EP/CQD‐APP2:18 after the UL‐94 test indicated that the addition of SPFRS promoted the formation of the dense char residue layer to improve the flame retardancy of EP.Highlight An N, P co‐doped carbon quantum dot (NP‐CQD) was prepared and applied as a flame retardant. NP‐CQD and ammonium polyphosphate (APP) showed synergistic flame retardancy in epoxy resin. The proper weight ratio of NP‐CQD to APP was 1:9.

Enhanced safety of polymer solid electrolytes by using black phosphorene as a flame-retardant

Solid polymer electrolytes attract much attention due to their good flexibility and good interfacial contact property. However, the inherent thermal instability of polymers inhibits the practical application of solid polymer electrolytes. In this work, the black phosphorene nanosheet, a fire-retardant additive, was introduced and incorporated into poly (ethylene oxide) (PEO)-based solid polymer electrolyte to improve the thermal property. The BP/PEO based solid polymer electrolyte membrane is thermally stable, nonflammable, and mechanically strong, more than 400 h of cycling with low polarization based on a Li-Li symmetric cell was achieved. LiFePO4//Li solid state battery with the BP/PEO based solid polymer electrolyte shows a high-capacity performance (153 mAh g−1 at 0.1 C) as well as cycling performance (100 cycles at 0.2 C rate) at 60 °C. The flammability tests indicated that a small amount of black phosphorene can make the electrolyte display good non-flammability. In the micro-scale combustion calorimetry test, the peak heat release rate of BP/PEO based solid polymer electrolyte reduced by 62.5% and flame ignition time is slower compared with the PEO based solid polymer electrolyte without incorporating black phosphorene. The present work demonstrated that the black phosphorene nanosheets do not weaken the electrochemical properties of solid polymer electrolytes, but also enhance their thermal properties.

Effects of Phosphorus and Boron Compounds on Thermal Stability and Flame Retardancy Properties of Epoxy Composites.

While plastics are regarded as the most resourceful materials nowadays, ranging from countless utilities including protective or decorating coatings, to adhesives, packaging materials, electronic components, paintings, furniture, insulating composites, foams, building blocks and so on, their critical limitation is their advanced flammability, which in fire incidents can result in dramatic human fatalities and irreversible environmental damage. Herein, epoxy-based composites with improved flame-resistant characteristics have been prepared by incorporating two flame retardant additives into epoxy resin, namely 6-(hydroxy(phenyl)methyl)-6H-dibenzo[c,e][1,2]oxaphosphinine-6-oxide (PFR) and boric acid (H3BO3). The additional reaction of 9,10-dihydro-oxa-10-phosphophenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) to the carbonyl group of benzaldehyde yielded PFR, which was then used to prepare epoxy composites having a phosphorus content ranging from 1.5 to 4 wt%, while the boron content was 2 wt%. The structure, morphology, thermal stability and flammability of resulted epoxy composites were investigated by FTIR spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC). Thermogravimetric analysis indicated that the simultaneous incorporation of PFR and H3BO3 improved the thermal stability of the char residue at high temperatures. The surface morphology of the char residues, studied by SEM measurements, showed improved characteristics in the case of the samples containing both phosphorus and boron atoms. The MCC tests revealed a significant reduction in flammability as well as a significant decrease in heat release capacity for samples containing both PFR and H3BO3 compared to the neat epoxy thermoset.

Anti-UV and hydrophobic dual-functional coating fabrication for flame retardant polyester fabrics by surface-initiated PET RAFT technique

Inspired by the flourish of living radical polymerization (LRP), surface-initiated LPR technology shows great potential in good control and accurate tailoring of target polymer coatings. In this work, surface-initiated photoinduced electron transfer-reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (SI-PET-RAFT) was employed as a facile synthetic rout for the fabrication of surface-tethered polymeric brushes with anti-UV and hydrophobic properties for flame retardant polyester fabrics (FRPET). Firstly, RAFT agent 4-Cyano-4-[(dodecyl sulfanyl thiocarbonyl) sulfanyl] pentanoic acid (CDTPA) was grafted onto polydopamine (PDA) deposited FRPET, followed by the controlled growth of glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) onto polyester fabrics via SI-PET-RAFT method. Finally, benzotriazole anti-UV agents were grafted as secondary functionalization. According to SEM-EDS and XPS analysis, PGMA has been immobilized successfully onto the surface of FRPET fabrics. An efficient PET RAFT polymerization of GMA with low dispersity (Ð<1.2), temporal control, and chain-end fidelity was achieved under mild yellow light irradiation (λmax = 570 nm, 4 W/m2). It also exhibited the feasibility of polymerization under natural sunlight and oxygen tolerance. The flame retardant, UV resistant and hydrophobic properties of the treated fabrics were investigated. In the microscale combustion calorimetry test, the peak heat release rate (PHRR) effectively decreased by 59.50%. In the cone calorimetry test, the PHRR and total heat release also reduced. The melt-dripping was eliminated in the vertical flaming test and reached V-0 rating with LOI value of 28%. The UV transmittance of the fabric decreased to<4%, meeting the standard of UV resistant fabric and the water contact angle reached 125°, thus making flame retardant polyester fabric have good hydrophobicity. Besides, it also kept good durability in flame retardancy, UV shielding and water repellent. This study provides new insights into the surface engineering of photoregulated LRP techniques for multi-functional coating synthesis.

Development of a pyrolysis model for oriented strand board. Part I: Kinetics and thermodynamics of the thermal decomposition

Oriented strand board is a widely used construction material responsible for a substantial portion of the fire load of many buildings. To accurately model the response of oriented strand board to fire, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and microscale combustion calorimetry tests were carried out to construct a thermal decomposition model using a numerical solver, ThermaKin, and a hill climbing optimization algorithm. The model included a single-step water vaporization reaction and four consecutive reactions representing thermal decomposition of organic constituents of oriented strand board. The experiments and modeling revealed that the first two of the four reactions are endothermic, while the last two are exothermic. The net heat of decomposition was found to be near zero. The heat capacities of condensed-phase species and heats of combustion of evolved gases were also determined. The heats of combustion were found to vary over the course of decomposition—the trend captured by the model. Development of a complete pyrolysis model for this material will be a subject of Part II of this work.

Tailoring thermal and flame retardant properties via synergistic effect in polyvinyl alcohol nanocomposites based on polyphosphonate and/or SiO2 nanoparticles

New polymer nanocomposites with improved fire performance were developed based on polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as polymer matrix, a polyphosphonate (PPH) and/or SiO2 nanoparticles. The structural and morphological properties of the resulting nanocomposites were investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and contact angle measurements. Thermal and combustion properties of the nanocomposites were determined by running thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) tests. The introduction of PPH and SiO2 nanoparticles increased the contact angle values, the glass transition temperature and the char yield at 800 °C. MCC tests revealed substantial improvement on the fire-resistant properties of the samples containing both PPH and SiO2, due to the synergistic effect. The total heat release decreased from 20.75 kJ/g, in pure PVA to 17.69 kJ/g in the sample containing 10% SiO2 and 10% PPH.

A flame-retardant PET fabric coating: Flammability, anti-dripping properties, and flame-retardant mechanism

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics are used almost everywhere in daily life. However, they burn with melting and dripping, causing potential dangers. This work aims to solve the melt-dripping phenomenon and improve the flame retardancy of PET fabrics. Through a rapid dip-coating process, the chemically reactive product of phytic acid and (3-piperazinylpropyl)methyldimethoxysilane, denoted as GPA, was used to prepare a flame-retardant coating for PET fabrics. The results of the scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometry show that GPA is evenly distributed on the PET fabrics. From the thermogravimetric analysis in air atmosphere, the residual chars of flame-retardant PET (FR-PET) fabrics at a higher temperature zone increase significantly. The melt-dripping is eliminated in the vertical flaming test. Besides, the limiting oxygen index values of FR-PET fabrics are improved. In the microscale combustion calorimetry test, the peak heat release rates (PHRR) of FR-PET fabrics are effectively reduced. In the cone calorimetry test, the PHRR and total heat release of FR-PET fabrics are also reduced. The results of the thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared analysis show that FR-PET fabrics release fewer combustible products during the thermal decomposition process. In the tensile strength test, the warp tensions of FR-PET are enhanced. This work demonstrates the flame-retardant effectiveness of GPA on PET fabrics in detail.

New fire-resistant epoxy thermosets: nonisothermal kinetic study and flammability behavior

Abstract New fire-resistant thermosets are prepared based on a bisphenol A-epoxy resin which is thermally crosslinked in the presence of dicyandiamide and two phenols containing phosphorus atoms. The thermosets are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) tests. A nonisothermal kinetic study is performed based on processing of TGA data applying the method proposed by Vyazovkin. The lifetime prediction analyses establish that the phosphorus-containing polymers could be used at a constant temperature of 200°C up to 200–780 min. The MCC tests reveal an improvement of the flammability behavior, as well as a significant heat release capacity reduction for phosphorus-containing samples compared to the sample which has no phosphorus component.

Flame retardant properties of polyamide 6 with piperazine pyrophosphate

ABSTRACTPiperazine pyrophosphate (PAPP) was mixed in polyamide 6 (PA6) to investigate its flame retardant properties. The PAPP was characterised by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), elemental analysis, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The elemental analysis and TGA results of PAPP indicated it had a high P element content and good thermal stability. The flame retardancy of PA6/PAPP was also characterised by TGA, limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 vertical test and microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC). The TGA results showed that the PAPP increased the stability of the PA6/PAPP and resulted in a significant increase of char residue. PA6/PAPP passed the UL94 V-0 rating with a LOI value of 42 vol %. The MCC test indicated that the PAPP can greatly decrease the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR). The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) illustrated that PAPP can promote the formation of compact char layer.

Improvement of flame retardancy of poly(lactic acid) nonwoven fabric with a phosphorus- containing flame retardant

A cyclic phosphonate ester flame retardant was applied to improve the flame retardancy of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nonwoven fabric by a pad-dry-cure technique. The effects of curing temperature and flame retardant dosage on the flammability of PLA fabric were analyzed. The burning behavior, thermal stability and flame-retardant mechanism of the flame-retardant PLA fabric were investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test, microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC), thermogravimetric (TG) analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectrum (EDS). The treated PLA fabric exhibited good flame retardancy, and its LOI was about 35%, whereas this value was 26.3% for the untreated fabric. No obvious difference of the MCC test results between the untreated and treated fabrics was found. The results from TG analyses indicated the formation of a very small amount of char during the thermal degradation process of the treated PLA fabric. The SEM-EDS analysis showed an obvious decrease in the phosphorus content of the flame retardant fabric after burning. These indicate that the gas-phase flame-retardant mechanism during combustion is dominant, and results in the good flame retardancy of the treated fabric in the presence of a very small amount of char residue.

Synthesis of poly(diethylenetriamine terephthalamide) and its application as a flame retardant for ABS

A novel aliphatic–aromatic polyamide poly(diethylenetriamine terephthalamide) (PDTA) was synthesized by using terephthaloyl chloride (TPC) and diethylenetriamine (DETA). A ammonium polyphosphate (APP)/PDTA mixture was prepared for use as an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) for acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene terpolymer (ABS). The structure of PDTA was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and 1H NMR. The thermal properties and thermal decomposition model were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The flame-retardant effect, thermal degradation behavior, and mechanism of IFR–ABS were investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test (UL-94), microscale combustion calorimetry test (MCC), TG, FTIR, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that PDTA was synthesized as expected and was stable below 200 °C. The results also showed that when the loadings of ABS, APP, and PDTA were 70, 22.5, and 7.5 %, respectively, the LOI value reached 31 % and the UL-94 vertical burning test was V-0. What is more, even when the addition of IFR was decreased to 25 %, the LOI value of the ABS/APP/PDTA (75/18.75/6.25) system was 28 %, indicating compounding APP and PDTA could improve the flame-retardant performance of ABS. The FTIR indicated there was a chemical reaction between APP and PDTA to form a heat-resistant triazine ring, and SEM indicated the ABS/APP/PDTA systems had a denser char structure than that of pure ABS.

Effect of a novel polysiloxane-containing nitrogen on the thermal stability and flame retardancy of epoxy resins

A novel polysiloxane-containing nitrogen (PSiN) was synthesized, and it was added to epoxy resin (EP) as flame retardant. The structure of PSiN was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 1H NMR. The effect of PSiN on the flame retardancy and thermal behaviors of EP were investigated by limited oxygen index (LOI), microscale combustion calorimetry test (MCC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). The results showed that the flame retardancy and the thermal stability of EP were improved with the addition of PSiN. When 4.5 mass% PSiN was incorporated, the LOI value of EP was found to be 29 %, which is higher than 21 % of pure EP. The char structure observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated that the surface of the char for EP100/DDM (4,4-diaminodiphenyl-methane) 20.7/PSiN4.5 system holds a smoother and denser char structure when compared with EP100/DDM21.8 and EP100/PSiN90 systems.

Bio-based barium alginate film: Preparation, flame retardancy and thermal degradation behavior

A bio-based barium alginate film was prepared via a facile ionic exchange and casting approach. Its flammability, thermal degradation and pyrolysis behaviors, thermal degradation mechanism were studied systemically by limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning (UL-94), microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) coupled with Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py-GC–MS). It showed that barium alginate film had much higher LOI value (52.0%) than that of sodium alginate film (24.5%). Moreover, barium alginate film passed the UL-94 V-0 rating, while the sodium alginate film showed no classification. Importantly, peak of heat release rate (PHRR) of barium alginate film in MCC test was much lower than that of sodium alginate film, suggested that introduction of barium ion into alginate film significantly decreased release of combustible gases. TG-FTIR and Py-GC–MS results indicated that barium alginate produced much less flammable products than that of sodium alginate in whole thermal degradation procedure. Finally, a possible degradation mechanism of barium alginate had been proposed.

Synergistic effects between silicon-containing flame retardant and DOPO on flame retardancy of epoxy resins

A novel flame retardant, containing silicon and nitrogen (PSiN), was synthesized, and it was used together with 9, 10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) to prepare a flame-retardant system for epoxy resins (EP). Flammability and thermal behaviors of EP systems were estimated by limited oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning test (UL-94), microscale combustion calorimetry test and thermogravimetric analysis. The results showed that synergistic effects on the flame retardancy of EP composites existed between the DOPO and PSiN. When 3 % PSiN and 7 % DOPO were incorporated, the LOI value of EP was found to be 34 %, and the UL-94 test found to be class V-0. The microstructures observed by scanning electron microscopy and FTIR indicated that the surface of the char for EP/DOPO/PSiN system holds a more cohesive and denser char structure when compared to the pure EP and EP/DOPO systems.

Effect of manganese and cobalt ions on flame retardancy and thermal degradation of bio-based alginate films

Bio-based cobalt alginate and manganese alginate films were prepared by a facile ionic exchange and casting approach. Their flame retardancy, thermal degradation, and pyrolysis properties were investigated by vertical burning (UL-94), limiting oxygen index (LOI), thermogravimetric analysis, microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC), thermogravimetric analyzer coupled with Fourier transform infrared analysis (TG–FTIR), and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py–GC–MS). It showed that cobalt alginate film had much higher LOI value (45.0 %) than those of manganese alginate film (30.7 %) and sodium alginate film (24.5 %). Moreover, cobalt alginate film passed UL-94 V-0 rating, while manganese alginate and sodium alginate films showed no rating. Importantly, peak of heat release rate of cobalt alginate and manganese alginate in MCC test was much lower than that of sodium alginate, suggesting that the addition of cobalt ion and manganese ion decreases the release of combustible gases. TG–FTIR and Py–GC–MS results indicated that cobalt alginate and manganese alginate produced much less gaseous products than that of sodium alginate. Finally, a possible thermal degradation mechanism of cobalt alginate and manganese alginate had been proposed. The results provided useful information for understanding flame-retardant mechanism of alginate as well as for designing bio-based materials with excellent fire-retardant properties.

Novel ABC miktoarm star terpolyphosphoesters: Facile construction and high‐flame retardant property

ABSTRACTA combination of ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), ring‐opening polymerization (ROP), and acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization approach was first time utilized in the preparation of novel ABC miktoarm star terpolyphosphoesters (PPEs). Acrylate‐terminated monotelechelic PPE was first prepared through ROMP of 7‐membered cyclic phosphate monomer in the presence of a terminating agent, and then terminal acrylate group was readily converted, by thiol‐Michael addition click reaction and esterification, to a heterodifunctional PPE with hydroxyl and acrylate groups, which was a key precursor for the preparation of ABC miktoarm terpolymers. ROP of the cyclic phosphoester monomer initiated by this PPE was successively carried out to generate the acrylate‐functionalized block PPE, which utilized as a selective macromolecular chain stopper in subsequent ADMET polymerization of α,ω‐diene phosphate monomer, finally producing miktoarm terpolyphosphoester. These prepared miktoarm star terpolyphosphoesters demonstrated superior thermal and flame retardant properties via TGA, limiting oxygen index, and microscale combustion calorimetry tests. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2016, 54, 692–701

Preparation of a chitosan‐based flame‐retardant synergist and its application in flame‐retardant polypropylene

ABSTRACTA novel flame‐retardant synergist, chitosan/urea compound based phosphonic acid melamine salt (HUMCS), was synthesized and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and 31P‐NMR. Subsequently, HUMCS was added to a fire‐retardant polypropylene (PP) compound containing an intumescent flame‐retardant (IFR) system to improve its flame‐retardant properties. The PP/IFR/HUMCS composites were characterized by limiting oxygen index (LOI) tests, vertical burning tests (UL‐94 tests), microscale combustion calorimetry tests, and thermogravimetric analysis to study the combustion behavior and thermal stability. The addition of 3 wt % HUMCS increased the LOI from 31.4 to 33.0. The addition of HUMCS at a low additive amount reduced the peak heat‐release rate, total heat release, and heat‐release capacity obviously. Furthermore, scanning electron micrographs of char residues revealed that HUMCS could prevent the IFR–PP composites from forming a dense and compact multicell char, which could effectively protect the substrate material from combusting. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40845.

Combustion properties and thermal degradation behaviors of biobased polylactide composites filled with calcium hypophosphite

In this work, calcium hypophosphite (CaHP) was introduced into polylactide to prepare flame retardant polylactide composites (FR-PLA). Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to investigate the thermal degradation properties of CaHP and FR-PLA composites. It was found that CaHP presented a different thermal degradation process in air atmosphere compared with that in nitrogen. The flame retardancy properties of the composites were evaluated by limiting oxygen index (LOI), underwriter laboratories 94 testing (UL-94), microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) and cone calorimetry. LOI and UL-94 testing showed that the incorporation of CaHP can significantly improve the flame retardancy of FR-PLA composites. MCC and cone calorimeter tests showed that the values of heat release rate (pHRR) and total heat release (THR) of FR-PLA composites were significantly decreased compared with those of pure PLA. The thermal degradation processes of PLA and FR-PLA were researched by real time Fourier transform infrared spectra (RT-FTIR). The crystallization behavior of FR-PLA composites was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) revealed that the addition of CaHP promoted the formation of condensed char residue which contained aromatic structure and phosphorous-rich inorganic structure. The condensed char could inhibit the inner material from being attacked by the heat flux and flame during combustion, resulting in improved flame retardance of FR-PLA composites.

Study of the flame retardancy and thermal properties of unsaturated polyester resin via incorporation of a reactive cyclic phosphorus-containing monomer

A reactive cyclic phosphorus-containing monomer (ethyl acrylate cyclic glycol phosphate; EACGP) was synthesized in a facile way and various amounts of EACGP were combined with unsaturated polyester by radical bulk polymerization. The resulting flame-retardant unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) samples were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis, limiting oxygen index (LOI), and microscale combustion calorimetry tests. Due to the high phosphorus content of EACGP, incorporation of this monomer led to a marked decrease in the peak heat release rate and the total heat release, an increase in the LOI and the combustion char formation. Furthermore, real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was employed to investigate the thermooxidative degradation behavior of UPRs and the charring effect of EACGP as well as the UPR char morphology was studied, illustrating the flame retardancy mechanism in UPR.

Thermal Degradation and Flame Retardance of Biobased Polylactide Composites Based on Aluminum Hypophosphite

A series of flame retardant polylactide composites (FR-PLA) based on aluminum hypophosphite (AHP) were facilely prepared by melt blending method. The thermal behavior, flammability, and mechanical properties of FR-PLA composites were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), the UL-94 vertical burning test, limiting oxygen index (LOI), cone calorimeter testing, microscale combustion calorimetry, mechanical testing, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). TGA results showed that the FR-PLA composites presented higher char residue and reduced mass loss rate than neat PLA. The FR-PLA composite showed excellent fire resistance, from no rating of neat PLA to a V0 rating of FR-PLA containing 20 wt % aluminum hypophosphite in the UL-94 test. The microscale combustion calorimetry test showed that the heat release capacity, the peak of heat release and the total heat release of FR-PLA composites were significantly decreased with the increase of AHP content. The cone calorimeter test also confirmed that the addition of AHP resulted in a significant decrease in the peak heat release rate value of PLA/AHP composites compared with pure PLA. Additionally, the results from DSC and DMA tests indicated that the addition of AHP into polylactide significantly changed the crystallization behavior and storage modulus of polylactide. However, the addition of AHP decreases the tensile strength and elongation at break. The char after LOI testing was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and craterlike morphology was observed on the surface of the char. The thermal degradation process of FR-PLA composites was analyzed by real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.