TY - JOUR A1 - Sunder, S. A1 - Jauregui Rozo, Maria A1 - Inasu, S. A1 - Meinel, Dietmar A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Ruckdäschel, H. T1 - Effect of Ammonium Polyphosphate/Silicate Content on the Postfire Mechanics of Epoxy Glass-Fiber Composites Using Facile Chocolate Bar-Inspired Structures N2 - This study investigates the postfire mechanical properties of epoxy glass-fiber reinforced composites (EP GFRCs) using increasing concentrations of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and inorganic silicate (InSi) to modify the char and fire residue. A facile chocolate bar-inspired structure was introduced for fire exposure and subsequent flexural testing of the GFRCs. The resin matrix used here was a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) resin, cured with dicyandiamide (DICY), and accelerated by Urone. The microstructures of the degraded composites after three-point bending tests, were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray computed tomography (XCT) imaging. A previous study showed that increasing the APP and InSi content significantly enhanced flame retardancy, via improved char formation under fire conditions. However, flexural properties and fire resistance were adversely affected after fire exposure, highlighting a trade-off effect. Fiber breakage and delamination of the composites increased upon failure with increasing APP + InSi content in the composite due to unconsolidated char. The experimental values for the postfire flexural mechanics were in good agreement with the two-layer model proposed in literature. This paper presents a preliminary basis for postfire mechanical testing of epoxy composites for use in fire-safe structures, using a combination of standardized testing norms. KW - Flame retardants KW - Post-fire KW - Epoxy KW - Gass fiber composites KW - Prepregs PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-627176 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/fam.3280 SN - 0308-0501 SN - 1099-1018 VL - 49 IS - 3 SP - 329 EP - 346 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-62717 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bibinger, J. A1 - Eibl, S. A1 - Gudladt, H.-J. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Höfer, P. T1 - Pushing the limits of thermal resistance in nanocomposites: A comparative study of carbon black and nanotube modifications N2 - Enhancing the thermal resistance of carbon fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) with flame retardants or coatings often leads to increased weight and reduced mechanical integrity. To address these challenges, this study introduces an innovative approach for developing nanocomposites using carbon-based nanoparticles, while preserving the structural lightweight properties. For this, carbon black particles (CBPs) up to 10% and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) up to 1.5% were incorporated into the RTM6/G939 composite material. The obtained samples were then analyzed for their properties and heat resistance under one-sided thermal loading at a heat flux of 50 kW/m2. Results demonstrate that integrating these particles improves heat conduction without compromising the material’s inherent advantages. As a result, thermo-induced damage and the resulting loss of mechanical strength are delayed by 17% with CBPs and 7% with CNTs compared to the unmodified material. Thereby, the thermal behavior can be accurately modeled by a straightforward approach, using calibrated, effective measurements of the nanoparticles in the polymer matrix rather than relying on theoretical assumptions. This approach thus provides a promising methode to characterize and improve thermal resistance without significant trade-offs. KW - Nanomaterial KW - Cabon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) KW - Carbon black (CB) KW - Carbon nanotube (CNT) KW - Improving heat conduction KW - Prediction thermal properties PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-628632 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15070546 SN - 2079-4991 VL - 15 IS - 7 SP - 1 EP - 23 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-62863 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wagner, Jan A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Rockel, Daniel A1 - Reimann, H.-A A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - This is the way: An evidence based route to phytic-acid–based flame retardant poly(lactide acid) N2 - A systematic sequence of materials was investigated to develop phytic-acid (Phyt)–based flame retarded poly (lactide acid) (PLA), while factoring in molecular weight (MW), crystallinity and mechanical properties. Synergistic approaches were developed based on combinations with lignin and expandable graphite (EG), as well as by applying different Phyt salts of melamine (Mel), piperazine (Pip), and arginine (Arg). Compounds were twin screw extruded, injection molded, hot pressed and investigated with thermal analysis, size exclusion chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, tensile testing, limited oxygen index (LOI), UL 94, cone calorimeter, and scanning electron microscope. 16.7 wt.% flame retardant (FR) slightly enhances crystallization while MW remains unchanged in PLA Phyt Arg and PLA Phyt Mel. LOI was improved to 43.7 vol.% for PLA Phyt Arg, UL 94 V0 achieved for PLA Phyt Pip. Cone calorimeter results show total heat evolved reduced by 14 %, maximum average rate of heat emission 43 % lower, and peak heat release rate reduced by 50 % for PLA Phyt Mel. Phyt Mel combined with EG increased the char yield of PLA to 20 wt.% and 15.5 wt.% at 600 and 900 ◦C, respectively. Phyt is exploited to enhance char yield, stabilize the intumescent char, and lower the apparent effective heat of combustion. The combination of Phyt Mel and EG was proposed as an efficient FR for PLA via an evidence based developing route. KW - Polylactide acid KW - Intumescent flame retardant KW - Phosphorous flame retardant KW - Phytic acid KW - Expandable graphite KW - Melamine PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-626395 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111242 SN - 1873-2321 SN - 0141-3910 VL - 234 SP - 1 EP - 14 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-62639 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hupp, Vitus A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Flothmeier, K. A1 - Hartwig, A. T1 - Flame Retarded Adhesive Tapes and Their Influence on the Fire Behavior of Bonded Parts N2 - Pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes are used in automotives, railway vehicles and construction, where flame retardancy is of major importance. This is why industrial applicants often buy, and industrial tape manufacturers often produce, flame-retardant adhesive tapes, advertised for their good flammability characteristics. Yet, how flame-retardant tapes influence the fire behavior of bonded materials is a rather open question. To investigate this issue, three different substrates were bonded, using eight double-sided adhesive tapes containing two different carriers and two different flame retardants. The bonded substrates were compared to their monolithic counterparts in terms of flammability, fire behavior and fire stability. The fire behavior of adhesive tape bonded materials differed significantly from the monolithic substrates. The usage of different adhesive tapes let to different burning behavior of the bonded materials mainly due to different carrier systems. In contrast, the implementation of flame retardant into the adhesive had rather minor or no effect on the burning behavior of the bonded substrates despite their positive effect on the flammability of the free-standing tape. The carrier changed the HRR curve in the cone calorimeter and was able to both, reduce and increase fire hazards. Using the carrier with the better fire performance can lower the fire growth rate by 20%, the peak of heat release rate by 27%, and the maximum average rate of heat emission by 30% in cone calorimeter tests. Overall, the fire behavior of bonded materials is a complex interaction between substrate, adhesive, and carrier, and depends on the fire scenario the materials are exposed to. KW - Pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes KW - Bonded materials KW - Fire behaviour KW - Fire resistance KW - Flame retardant KW - Cone calorimeter PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-626006 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10694-024-01637-2 SN - 1572-8099 SN - 0015-2684 VL - 61 IS - 2 SP - 729 EP - 749 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-62600 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jauregui Rozo, Maria A1 - Sunder, S. A1 - Inasu, S. A1 - Meinel, Dietmar A1 - Ruckdäschel, H. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Weaving Through Fire and Force: Fire Behavior and Fire Stability of Unidirectional, Bidirectional, and Woven Roving Glass-Fiber Composites N2 - This study systematically investigates the transfer of flame retardants (FRs) from epoxy resins to composites. The flame-retardant composites are formulated using bisphenol A diglycidyl ether as the resin and dicyandiamide as the hardener, reinforced with glass fibers (GFs) using various textile architectures: unidirectional (UD), bidirectional (BD), and woven rovings (WR). These composites are evaluated using bench-scale fire stability tests and cone calorimeter experiments to assess critical parameters, including the temperature at failure, time to failure, and fire behavior. Among the tested configurations, UD-GFs demonstrate superior flame retardancy, fire stability, flammability, and mechanical performance, attributed to their higher residue yield, forming a more efficient protective char layer. However, the addition of FRs is limited by their impact on the material's mechanical properties. When the FR content increases to 30 and 50 wt.% of the resin, the composites exhibit a decrease in mechanical performance, adversely affecting both time to failure and temperature at failure. While adding FRs reduces the risk of fire propagation, it does not substantially enhance fire stability or mechanical performance. KW - Fire Resistance KW - Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites KW - Fire Stability KW - Glass Fibers KW - Fire Behavior PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-631220 SN - 1438-7492 SN - 1439-2054 VL - 310 IS - 5 SP - 2400432 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-63122 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dey, R. A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Prescher, A. A1 - Kreitsmann, T. A1 - Zhang, K. A1 - Posten, C. A1 - Thomson, C. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Ullrich, M. S. A1 - Thomson, L. T1 - Sustainable Flame-Retardant Poly Lactic AcidBiocomposites Reinforced with Polyphosphate-EnrichedMicroalgae: Unlocking the Potential of Hyper-Compensation N2 - This study examines the dual benefits of microalgae cultivation for wastewatertreatment and the enhancement of polylactic acid-based biocomposites. UsingDesmodesmus sp. in a photobioreactor, both batch and continuous operationsachieve total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) removal rates of up to99.9%, maintaining TN and TP levels below 0.02 mg L−1 in the effluent, aligningwith European discharge standards. Continuous cultivation increases biomassproductivity from 0.102 to 0.43 g L−1 day−1 , a 322% improvement over batchoperations. Nutrient starvation followed by reintroduction to nutrient-richwastewater induces hyper-compensation luxury uptake, with P-enrichedcells accumulating 1.33% intracellular P within six hours — 21% higherthan natural accumulation. The results reveal that luxury phosphorus uptakein microalgae follows a triphasic system of uptake and storage, challengingthe previously suggested biphasic model. When incorporated into Poly lacticacid (PLA), the biomass enhances versatility, offering potential replacementof inorganic P in industrial applications, particularly flame retardants.Pyrolysis and cone calorimetry confirm the thermal and fire-retardantbenefits, with a 20% reduction in peak heat release rate and increased charyield. This work highlights microalgae’s role in sustainable biocomposites,supporting wastewater treatment, nutrient recovery, and CO2 sequestration. KW - biocomposites KW - biopolymers KW - Flame-retardant KW - Hyper compensation KW - Phycoremediation KW - Wastewater treatment PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-640408 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/adsu.202500251 SN - 2366-7486 VL - 9 IS - 8 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Wiley VHC-Verlag AN - OPUS4-64040 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Bhatia, Riya A1 - Dey, R. A1 - Falkenhagen, Jana A1 - Ullrich, M. S. A1 - Thomsen, C. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Wastewater phosphorus enriched algae as a sustainable flame retardant in polylactide N2 - Revolutionizing our polymer industry for adaption to a sustainable carbon circular economy has become one of today’s most demanding challenges. Exploiting renewable resources to replace fossil-fuel—based plastics with biopolymers such as poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is inevitable while using waste streams as a raw material resource at least is promising. When it comes to using PLA as technical polymer, its high flammability must be addressed by flame retardants compatible with the thermoplastic processing of PLA and its compostability. This study proposes microalgae enriched with phosphorus from wastewater (P-Algae) as an elegant way towards a kind of sustainable organophosphorus flame retardant. The concept is demonstrated by investigating the processing, pyrolysis, flammability, and fire behavior of PLA/P-Algae, while varying the P-Algae content and comparing P-Algae with four alternative bio-fillers (phosphorylated lignin, biochar, thermally treated sewage sludge, and metal phytate) with different P-contents as meaningful benchmarks. KW - PLA KW - Flame Retardancy KW - Phosphorylated Algae KW - Wastewater flame retardants KW - Zink phytate KW - Phosphorylated lignin KW - Thermally treated sludge PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-604150 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2024.110885 SN - 1873-2321 SN - 0141-3910 VL - 227 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-60415 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Strommer, Bettina A1 - Schulze, Dietmar A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - Networking Skills: The Effect of Graphene on the Crosslinking of Natural Rubber Nanocomposites with Sulfur and Peroxide Systems N2 - Tailored crosslinking in elastomers is crucial for their technical applications. The incorporation of nanoparticles with high surface-to-volume ratios not only leads to the formation of physical networks and influences the ultimate performance of nanocomposites, but it also affects the chemical crosslinking reactions. The influence of few-layer graphene (FLG) on the crosslinking behavior of natural rubber is investigated. Four different curing systems, two sulfur-based with different accelerator-to-sulfur ratios, and two peroxide-based with different peroxide concentrations, are combined with different FLG contents. Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), vulcametry (MDR) and swelling measurements, the results show an accelerating effect of FLG on the kinetics of the sulfur-based curing systems, with an exothermic reaction peak in DSC shifted to lower temperatures and lower scorch and curing times in the MDR. While a higher accelerator-to-sulfur ratio in combination with FLG leads to reduced crosslinking densities, the peroxide crosslinkers are hardly affected by the presence of FLG. The good agreement of crosslink densities obtained from the swelling behavior confirms the suitability of vulcameter measurements for monitoring the complex vulcanization process of such nanocomposite systems in a simple and efficient way. The reinforcing effect of FLG shows the highest relative improvements in weakly crosslinked nanocomposites. KW - Nanocomposite KW - Elastomers KW - Graphene KW - Crosslinking KW - Network KW - Rubber KW - Vulcanization PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-560409 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14204363 VL - 14 IS - 20 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-56040 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Strommer, Bettina A1 - Schulze, Dietmar A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Böhning, Martin T1 - The quantification of anisotropy in graphene/natural rubber nanocomposites: Evaluation of the aspect ratio, concentration, and crosslinking N2 - In the processing of nanocomposites, high shear stresses at elevated tempera-tures orient two-dimensional nanoparticles like graphene. This orientationleads to anisotropic mechanical, thermal or barrier properties of the nanocom-posite. This anisotropy is addressed in this study by comparing graphene (few-layer graphene, FLG) with a nanoscaled carbon black (nCB) at a filler contentof 3 phr, by varying the vulcanization, and by comparing different FLG con-tents. Transmission electron microscopy gives insight into the qualitative ori-entation in the nanocomposite with FLG or nCB. The storage moduli paralleland normal to the orientation reveal the direction dependency of reinforce-ment through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Dimensional swellingmeasurements show a restriction of the expansion parallel to the FLG orienta-tion, and an increased expansion normal to the orientation. The vulcanizationsystem and crosslinking determine the respective level of property values, andhigher crosslinking densities increase the anisotropy in DMA resulting invalues of up to 2.9 for the quantified anisotropy factor. With increasing FLGcontent, the anisotropy increases. A comparison of the results reveals swellingmeasurements as the most suitable method for the determination of anisot-ropy. Compared to recent literature, the presented processing induces higheranisotropy, leading to higher reinforcing effects in the direction of orientation KW - Natural rubber KW - Graphene KW - Nanocomposite KW - Mechanical properties KW - Swelling PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-571522 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/app.53753 SN - 1097-4628 VL - 140 IS - 16 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Wiley online library CY - Hoboken, New Jersey (USA) AN - OPUS4-57152 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Kunze, Ralf A1 - Hennecke, Manfred A1 - Kettner, A. A1 - Wendorff, J. H. T1 - On the thermal behaviour and thermo-oxidative stability of liquid crystalline triphenylene compounds N2 - Columnar discotic materials are considered for applications in the area of photoconductivity and light-emitting diodes. A major requirement is their stability at elevated temperatures and in the presence of oxygen. The thermal and thermo-oxidative behaviour of discotic triphenylene derivatives was investigated by us using various methods, in particular by chemiluminescence (CL), UV-vis absorption spectroscopy and in situ thermogravimetry-mass spectroscopy (TG-MS). Various degradation processes are described for increasing temperature, and their influences on functional properties are discussed. KW - Liquid crystal KW - Oxidation KW - Thermogravimetry PY - 1999 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0712(199903/04)9:2<55::AID-AMO366>3.3.CO;2-R SN - 1057-9257 SN - 1099-0712 VL - 9 IS - 2 SP - 55 EP - 64 PB - Wiley CY - Chichester AN - OPUS4-732 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -