Innovative 3D printed design to conceive highly fire-retardant multi-material

Publication date: Available online 9 October 2019Source: Polymer Degradation and StabilityAuthor(s): Laura Geoffroy, Fabienne Samyn, Maude Jimenez, Serge BourbigotAbstractIn this work, instead of changing the formulation of materials, modification of their design has been investigated as an alternative approach to reach optimized fire performance. Technic of choice for such purpose, fused polymer deposition has been used to create innovative flame retarded sandwich structures with two skins completely filled and a partially filled grid patterned core. In the first part, different grid patterned cores were prepared by varying the infill density (either 30 or 50 wt.-%) as well as the fire retardant used in the ethylene vinyl acetate. Three EVA formulations were used, two containing aluminum tri-hydroxide (ATH) at respectively 30 and 65 wt.-% loadings and one based on expandable graphite used at 10 wt.-%. In a second step, biphasic materials containing air, water, potassium carbonate solubilized or in powder form sodium carbonate inside the porosity of the sandwich core were evaluated in the material (composed on EVA and 30 wt.-% of ATH). A full characterization of the fire properties of these innovative 3D designs was performed. It revealed that new light design with potassium carbonate in liquid phase inside the core material reached very good flame retardant properties. It exhibited a fast flame extinguishment and strong HRR reduction. This work is a proof of concept ...

Source: Polymer Degradation and Stability - October 10, 2019 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research