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The flammability of expandable polystyrene foams coated with melamine modified urea formaldehyde resin
Author(s) -
Cao Bo,
Gu Xiaoyu,
Song Xiaohui,
Jin Xiaodong,
Liu Xinyu,
Liu Xiaodong,
Sun Jun,
Zhang Sheng
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.44423
Subject(s) - fire retardant , intumescent , limiting oxygen index , flammability , cone calorimeter , char , materials science , melamine , melamine resin , polystyrene , composite material , urea formaldehyde , blowing agent , thermal stability , formaldehyde , fire performance , chemical engineering , polymer , polyurethane , pyrolysis , coating , chemistry , organic chemistry , adhesive , layer (electronics) , fire resistance , engineering
Urea formaldehyde resin (UF) was modified by introducing melamine during the condensation in order to reduce the amount of free formaldehyde and increase the solid content. The melamine modified UF (MUF) was firstly mixed with intumescent flame retardant (IFR) and then coated on the surface of pre‐expanded polystyrene (PS) particles to prepare flame retardant expandable PS (EPS) foams. The flammability of EPS foam samples was characterized by limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL‐94 vertical burning and cone calorimeter tests, and the results indicated that the peak heat release rate was significantly reduced from 406 to 49 kW/m 2 and LOI value could reach 36.3 with V‐0 rating in UL‐94 test after coated with IFR. The smoke density test indicated that the maximum smoke density was decreased by the addition of IFR. Thermal analysis suggested that the thermal stability and char formation were significantly improved by the presence of coated flame retardants. The residual char observation revealed that MUF and IFR were beneficial to form integrated char layers with hollow stents, which could be the main reason for the improvement of flame retardant properties. The mechanical properties of flame retardant EPS foams can still meet the standard requirements for industrial applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 44423.