Issue 4, 2023

Super-efficient fire safety poly(lactide) enabled by unique radical trapping

Abstract

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as a promising bio-plastic will decompose to small molecule flammable volatiles via chain scission, which thus exhibit poor fire safety and highly restrict its real-world applications. Herein, we report a novel multifunctional furan bio-based fire retardant (F-FR). The comprehensive properties of the F-FR in PLA were investigated systematically. As a result, the multifunctional F-FR exhibited not only good thermal stability, high crystallization behavior and excellent transparency, but also super-efficient fire safety regarding self-extinguishing. It was interesting that only trace 0.8 wt% loading of F-FR in PLA was needed to attain the UL-94 V-0 grade. For the first time, the LOI result of PLA with 2 wt% F-FR was as high as 48.0%. More importantly, the unique furan radical trapping mechanism from theoretical and experimental results in the gas phase was simulated and proved by quantum chemical calculations and the compositions and structures of molecules from the degradation and pyrolysis of F-FR, oxygen and PLA radicals. This work offers a useful and green strategy for developing super-efficient eco-friendly additives, enriches the fire-safety mechanism of PLA, and has promising broad application in engineering materials.

Graphical abstract: Super-efficient fire safety poly(lactide) enabled by unique radical trapping

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
17 10 2022
Accepted
12 12 2022
First published
04 1 2023

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023,11, 1651-1657

Super-efficient fire safety poly(lactide) enabled by unique radical trapping

D. Xiao, S. Chen, F. Wu, Z. Xiao, Z. Wang and H. Fang, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2023, 11, 1651 DOI: 10.1039/D2TA08102D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements