Thermal degradation behavior and gas phase flame‐retardant mechanism of polylactide/PCPP blends

Abstract

The thermal degradation behavior of the blend based on polylactide (PLA) and poly(1,2-propanediol 2-carboxyethyl phenyl phosphinate) (PCPP) was investigated by the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thermal degradation activation energies (E a ) of neat PLA and PLA/15% PCPP blend were calculated via the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method. The E a of the blends increased with the addition of PCPP increasing when the conversion was higher than 10%. In addition, the appropriate conversion models for the thermal degradation process of PLA and PLA/15% PCPP were studied via the Criado method. At the same time, the main gaseous decomposition products of PLA and its blend were identified by TGA/infrared spectrometry (TGA-FTIR) analysis. And it revealed that the PCPP improved the flame-retardant property of PLA via altering the release of the flammable gas and nonflammable gas. Moreover, the PCPP improved the flame-retardant property of PLA by inhibiting exothermic oxidation reactions in the combustion, which was further proved by pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis.

An Overview of Mode of Action and Analytical Methods for Evaluation of Gas Phase Activities of Flame Retardants

“…Moreover, decomposition of polylactide in presence of phosphorus-based polymer was studied and similar conclusion was addressed [52]. This type of polymeric flame retardant is expected to decompose and produce active radicals, quenching of flammable volatiles.…”

“…The thermal behavior of a polymer can be affected by the incorporation of an additive (e.g., flame retardant). Thereby, TGA analysis is a fast and efficient way to analyze the effect of the additive on the polymer matrix [14,[51][52][53]. However, TGA analysis alone is not enough to detect species evolved during the thermal decomposition of material.…”

“…Recently, the thermal decomposition and gas phase flame retardance for polylactide/phosphorus-based polymer blends (PCPP: poly(1,2-propanediol 2-carboxyethyl phenyl phosphinate) have been reported [52]. The data analysis for the TGA-FTIR of the pristine polymer and polymer/flame retardant blend showed that the presence of flame retardant induces a shift in the release of characteristic decomposition products.…”

Flame retarded poly(lactic acid): A review

“…This suggested that the molten mass drip from the matrix had taken out heat generation during combustion, and led to flame extinguishment. In a follow-up paper Lin et al [66] studied the thermal degradation behavior of the blend composed of PLA and PCPP (added in 15 wt%) by TGA, TGA-FTIR and pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. The activation energy of thermal degradation, calculated by the Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method, increased in the presence of PCPP when the degradation conversion was higher than 10%.…”

Investigation of melt spinnability of plasticized polylactic acid biocomposites-containing intumescent flame retardant

“…the depletion of petroleum reserves (the feedstock for conventional plastics) and the environmental harm caused by the irresponsible disposal of non-degradable polymers [4,5]. Nowadays, PLA is more progressively used in fibres and fabrics applications [6,7] because it can be spun by using techniques such as solution spinning, electrospinning and melt spinning [8,9].…”