TY - JOUR A1 - Dittrich, Bettina A1 - Wartig, K.-A. A1 - Hofmann, D. A1 - Mülhaupt, R. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - The influence of layered, spherical, and tubular carbon nanomaterials' concentration on the flame retardancy of polypropylene JF - Polymer composites N2 - The characteristic influences of increasing concentrations of graphene, expanded graphite (EG), carbon black (CB), and multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNT) are investigated on pyrolysis, reaction to small flame, burning behavior, and on electrical, thermal, and rheological properties of flame retarded polypropylene (PP-FR). The property-concentration dependency is different for the various material properties, as threshold, linear, and leveling off functions were observed. Increasing concentrations of carbon nanoparticles resulted in a decrease in the electrical resistivity of the polymer by crossing the percolation threshold. The developing nanoparticle network changes melt flow behavior for small shear rates, increases thermal conductivity and therefore, affects the UL 94 classification and oxygen index. The onset temperature of PP decomposition is shifted to temperatures up to 37°C higher; the peak heat release rate is reduced by up to 74% compared to PP-FR. Both effects leveled off with increasing particle concentration. Among the four carbon nanomaterials tested, graphene presents superior influence on composite properties over the tested concentration range and outperforms commercial CB, MWNT, and EG. POLYM. COMPOS., 36:1230–1241, 2015. KW - Graphene KW - Flame retardancy KW - Concentration dependency KW - Nanocomposite KW - Carbon nanomaterial PY - 2015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.23027 SN - 0272-8397 SN - 1548-0569 VL - 36 IS - 7 SP - 1230 EP - 1241 PB - Society of Plastics Engineers CY - Manchester, NH AN - OPUS4-33619 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -