Flame Retardancy Effects of Graphene Nanoplatelet/Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Membranes on Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Abstract

Carbon nanotube/graphene nanoplatelet (MWCNT/GNP) hybrid membranes with lower liquid permeability and better barrier effect compared to MWCNT membranes were successfully synthesized by vacuum filtering. Their morphologies, water permeability, and pore structures were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and nitrogen adsorption isotherms. Furthermore, MWCNT/GNP membranes were used to improve the flame retardancy of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites, and the influence of weight percentage of GNPs on the permeability and flame retardancy of MWCNT/GNP membranes was systematically investigated. Results show that incorporation of MWCNT/GNP membranes on CFRP composite plates can remarkably improve the flame retardancy of CFRP composites. Specifically, the incorporation of hierarchical MWCNT/GNP membrane with 7.5 wt% of GNP displays a 35% reduction in the peak heat release rate (PHRR) for a CFRP composite plate with the epoxy as matrix and a 11% reduction in PHRR compared with the incorporation of MWCNT membrane only. A synergistic flame retarding mechanism is suggested to be attributed to these results, which includes controlling the pore size and penetrative network structure.

Synthesis, characterization and crystallization kinetics of nanocomposites prepared by in situ polymerization of ethylene and graphene

“…This decrease illustrates the improvement in flame retardant capability of the nanocomposites. This behavior is due to layered structure and gas barrier properties of graphene nanoparticles, which prevents the evolution of combustion gases, thereby reducing the combustibility of material [41,42]. Similar results have been reported for brominated HDPE and graphene nanocomposites by Ran et al [43].…”

“…This effect could be the result of restacking of graphene due to strong van der Waals forces between sheets of graphene. However, this issue can be addressed by using graphene hybrids such as graphene cobalt oxide and graphene nickel oxide to enhance the flame retardant efficiency of graphene [41,42]. Ln(t -t 0 ) Synthesis, characterization and crystallization kinetics of nanocomposites prepared by in situ……”

Graphene-based flame retardants: a review

“…Carbon-based nanomaterials such as carbon nanotube [134,135], nanodiamond [136] and C 60 [137] are generally considered to be eco-friendly materials with remarkable thermal characteristics, mechanical properties and flame retardancy. The use of carbon family materials to enhance the mechanical properties of polymer has been studied for a long time, but few studies are concerned about the effectiveness of carbon materials as a barrier in promoting the thermal stability of polymer and in inhibiting fire of flame retardants [104,138,139].…”

Epoxy/graphene nanocomposites – processing and properties: a review

“…They found that the limiting oxygen index increased from 20 to 36, which means a huge transition of material's mature from flammable to nonflammable. Zhuo et al 182 proposed a flame retarding mechanism for polymer matrices when filled with graphene. Wang et al 181 prepared Ni-Fe Layered Double Hydroxide (LDH) modified graphene/epoxy nanocomposites.…”

“…Jiang et al 180 prepared epoxy/graphene-ZnS nanocomposites and reported that with the incorporation of ZnS decorated graphene, the carbon monoxide production rate for the nanocomposites is much lower than that of pure epoxy along with decreased total smoke release. According to Zhuo et al 182 , the barrier effect of graphene plays dominant role in flame retardancy. They found that with the incorporation of 2 wt% Ni-Fe LDH modified graphene, the time of ignition of epoxy matrix increased from 68s to 89s, the total heat release decreased from 113.1 MJ/m 2 to 44.2 MJ/m 2 , and the fire growth index decreased from 13.3 kW/m 2 ·s to 4.8 kW/m 2 ·s.…”