Project Title: Flammability and Potential Fire Hazard of Polymer/montmorillonite Nanocomposites

Principal Investigator: Prof. Hu Yuan

Funding Source: National Natural Science Foundation of China

Project Period: 2005-2007

Abstract:

In this project, we combine nano-technology, non-halogen flame retardant technology and fire safety engineering theory, select several suitable kinds of polymer, flame retardant, synergistic agents to prepare flame retardant polymer/clay nanocomposites using melting blend method via control of the species and contents of flame retardant and synergistic agents; couple conventional testing systems of flammability property, and establish stereo (multi-parameter and multi-index) global evaluation system to obtain characteristic parameters of the specific stages during the combustion of needed materials, explore the relationship and threshold among these parameters; evaluate the potential fire hazard of the materials based on the above condition using several original or derived evaluation indexes; study on the intrinsic relationship among the microscopic flame retardant mechanism, macroscopic fire property and potential fire hazard, establish special qualitative or sub-quantitative model to characterize that intrinsic relationship; finally put forward the optimization design scheme of flame retardant nanocomposites. The aim of this project is to establish theoretical and experimental principles for functional design of those new flame retardant polymer nanocomposites and family materials based on study on potential fire hazard and establishment of pre-select standard database of those materials aided design of end-product.