Flame-retardant composites and analysis of their residual strengths after tailored flame tests

In recent decades, fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) have become a key factor to realise lightweight design, e.g., to safe fuel in mobility applications. As FRPs are usually combustible, flame retardants (FRs) are necessary to fulfil critical requirements. On the one hand, FRs can negatively affect thermo-mechanical properties of composites and should therefore used as little as possible. On the other hand, frequently used infusion processes to manufacture FRPs are no longer possible due to filtration effects, if the FRs are present as particles. However, novel in this study is the use of a combined prepreg and infusion process to solve both challenges by implementing FRs only in the most exposed plies. Simultaneously, this method enables the manufacturing of large parts with implemented FR particles, without compromising the lightweight potential or causing adhesion challenges through the use of FR gel-coats. As part of this study, tailored flame tests with adequate reproducibility were developed for qualitative comparisons between different configurations and the residual compressive strength was determined afterwards, because the structural integrity in fire scenarios is of special importance in mobility applications. It was found, that despite a very low global amount of ≈ 1.5 - 3 % red phosphorus leads to significant improvements in the residual strength compared to unmodified configurations.

Subjects

Co-curing

Flame behaviour

Lightweight design

Material savings

Red phosphorus

Sustainability

DDC Class

620.1: Engineering Mechanics and Materials Science

660: Chemistry; Chemical Engineering

Funding(s)

Projekt DEAL

Lizenz

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Publication version

publishedVersion

Name

1-s2.0-S1359835X25006335-main.pdf

Type

Main Article

Size

4.46 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Options

Flame-retardant composites and analysis of their residual strengths after tailored flame tests