TY - JOUR A1 - Chan, Yin Yam A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - It Takes Two to Tango: Synergistic Expandable Graphite–Phosphorus Flame Retardant Combinations in Polyurethane Foams N2 - Due to the high flammability and smoke toxicity of polyurethane foams (PUFs) during burning, distinct efficient combinations of flame retardants are demanded to improve the fire safety of PUFs in practical applications. This feature article focuses on one of the most impressive halogen-free combinations in PUFs: expandable graphite (EG) and phosphorus-based flame retardants (P-FRs). The synergistic effect of EG and P-FRs mainly superimposes the two modes of action, charring and maintaining a thermally insulating residue morphology, to bring effective flame retardancy to PUFs. Specific interactions between EG and P-FRs, including the agglutination of the fire residue consisting of expanded-graphite worms, yields an outstanding synergistic effect, making this approach the latest champion to fulfill the demanding requirements for flame-retarded PUFs. Current and future topics such as the increasing use of renewable feedstock are also discussed in this article. KW - Synergy KW - Phosphorus-containing flame retardant KW - Expandable graphite KW - Polyurethane foams PY - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-551958 SN - 2073-4360 VL - 14 IS - 13 SP - 2562 PB - MDPI AN - OPUS4-55195 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Battig, Alexander A1 - Böhning, Martin A1 - Frasca, Daniele A1 - Schulze, Dietmar A1 - Strommer, Bettina A1 - Tabaka, Weronika A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker T1 - Multifunctional Elastomer/Graphene Nanocomposites N2 - A few layer/multilayer graphene (MLG) with a specific surface area of BET=250 m2/g is proposed as an efficient multifunctional nanofiller for rubbers. The preparation method, i.e., ultrasonically-assisted solution mixing of master batches followed by two-roll milling, strongly influences the dispersion in the elastomeric matrix and is fundamental for the final properties. When homogenously dispersed, single stacks of only approximately 10 graphene sheets, with an aspect ratio of 34, work at low loadings, enabling the replacement of large amounts of carbon black (CB), an increase in efficiency, and a reduction in filler load. The appropriate preparation yielded nanocomposites in which just 3 phr are sufficient to significantly improve the rheological, curing, gas barrier properties, electrical and thermal conductivity, as well as mechanical properties of different rubbers, as shown for chlorine-Isobutylene-Isoprene rubber (CIIR), nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR), natural rubber (NR), and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR). 3 phr of MLG tripled the Young’s modulus of CIIR, an effect equivalent to 20 phr of CB. The stronger interactions between MLG and NR or SBR also resulted in a reduction in the elongation at break by 20% and 50%, respectively, while the same parameter was hardly changed for CIIR/MLG and NBR/MLG. CIIR/MLG and NBR/MLG were stiffer but just as defomable than CIIR and NBR. The strong reinforcing effect of 3 phr MLG was confirmed by the increase of greater than 10 Shore A in hardness. MLG reduces gas permeability, increases thermal and electrical conductivities, and retards flammability, the latter shown by the reduction in heat release rate in the cone calorimeter. We investigated MLG also as a synergist for reducing the aluminium trihydrate loading in flame retardant hydrogenated acrylonitrile-butadiene (HNBR), polybutadiene chloroprene (BR/CR), and chlorosulfonated polyethylene rubber(CSM). The higher the nanofiller concentration is, the greater the improvement in the properties. For instance, the permeability decreased by 30% at 3 phr of MLG, 50% at 5 phr and 60% at 10 phr, respectively. Moreover, the MLG nanocomposites improve stability of mechanical properties against the effects of weathering. In key experiments an increase in UV-absorption and a pronounced radical scavenging were proved as stabilizing mechanisms. In a nutshell, MLG is an efficient multifunctional nanofiller ready to be used for innovative rubber development. T2 - 19th European Polymer Congress, EPF 2022 CY - Prague, Czech Republic DA - 26.06.2022 KW - Graphene KW - Nanocomposite KW - Rubber KW - Elastomer PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55196 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Battig, Alexander A1 - Garfias González, K. I. A1 - Gleuwitz, F. R. A1 - Sánchez Olivares, G. T1 - Non-vegan flame-retardant (adjuvants in) biocomposites N2 - Emanating from developing flame retarded biocomposites, we have proposed renewable natural fibers (including keratin) taken from industrial waste as an authentic sustainable approach. More recently, we have investigated non-vegan flame retardant approaches. This paper loves to give you an insight into our ongoing projects on biogenic industrial wastes like leather, bone meal, and insects. Materials were characterized multi-methodically, flame retardant modes of action quantified, decomposition mechanism proposed, and synergisms explained. Considering the large quantities of leather waste (LW) in industrial-scale production, we underline LW as multifunctional bio-adjuvants. LW enhances the flame retardancy of poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate) (EVA) containing phosphorus flame retardants (P-FR). Products/by-products of the invertebrate and vertebrate farming, respectively, are promising bio-based adjuvants in flame retarded bio-epoxy thermosets. While the addition of bone meal yields the formation of an inorganic shield, protein-based powders from insects provide an intumescent behavior. In combination with a P-FR superior charring and self-extinguishing are obtained. Acknowledgement: In part of this work was supported by the Volkswagen Foundation grant “Experiment!” No. 97437. T2 - Fire and Polymers, workshop, ACS Division of Polymer Chemistry CY - Napa, California, US DA - 05.06.2022 KW - Fire behaviour KW - Renewable KW - Circular economy KW - Biocomposite PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-55025 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Lin, Xuebao A1 - Tan, Yi A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Klack, Patrick A1 - Schoch, R. A1 - Lang, M. A1 - Tröppner, O. A1 - Bosse, M. T1 - Weathering Resistance of Halogen-free Flame Retardancy in E&E Plastics N2 - - Durability of fire retardancy - Impact of different exposure conditions - Degradation with respect to different fire properties/tests T2 - Fire Resistance in Plastics CY - Cologne, Germany DA - 28.11.2022 KW - Durability KW - Flame retardant KW - Thermoplastic Polyurethane KW - Cable KW - EVA KW - Weathering PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56444 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Sanchez Olivares, G. A1 - Battig, Alexander A1 - Goller, Sebastian M. A1 - Rockel, Daniel A1 - Ramirez Gonzáles, V. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Imparting Fire Retardancy and Smoke Suppression to Leather during Tanning Processes N2 - Leather is considered a luxury good when used in seating and upholstery. To improve safety, flame retardancy in leather is usually achieved through various finishing processes such as spray or roller coating. These treatments require processing steps that cost time and are laborintensive. One avenue to achieving flame retardancy in leather is to add flame retardants during the tanning process. However, the influence on flame retardancy exerted by specific intumescent additives specifically added during leather tanning has yet to be investigated. This work explores the roles played by intumescent additive compounds in flame retarding leather when they are added during tanning instead of applied as a coating. Via a systematic investigation of various compound mixtures, the flame retardant effects in the condensed and the gas phases are elucidated. The results show a strong impact of melamine in the gas phase and of polyphosphates in the condensed phase. Their impact was quantified in fire and smoke analysis, showing a 14% reduction in the peak of heat release rate, strongly reduced burning lengths, and a 20% reduction in total smoke release compared to nontreated leather. These results illuminate the key role played by specific compounds in the flame retardancy of leather, particularly when they are added specifically during the tanning process instead of being applied as a coating. This method has great potential to reduce processing steps, lower costs, and improve material safety. KW - Leather KW - Fire protection KW - Intumescent additives KW - Smoke suppression PY - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-564777 SN - 2470-1343 VL - 7 IS - 48 SP - 44156 EP - 44169 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-56477 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chan, Yin Y. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - It takes two to Tango: Industrial Benchmark PU-Foams with expandable Graphite/P-Flame Retardant Combinations N2 - Polyurethane foams (PUF) are generally flammable, so they are limited in some applications due to strict fire safety requirements. In this study, three distinct industrial benchmark polyurethane foams containing synergistic combinations of expandable graphite (EG) and phosphorous flame retardants (P-FR) were investigated one by one for their fire performance and smoke behavior. This paper aims to substantiate the hypothesis that the combination of EG and P-FR used in polyurethane foams yields a top-notch composite in terms of flame retardancy and smoke behavior by meeting the demanding requirement of low maximum average heat emission (MARHE) and smoke emission in a variety of applications, like advanced materials in construction, lightweight materials for railways, and more. KW - Polyurethane foam KW - Expandable graphite KW - Phosphorus flame retardant PY - 2022 SN - 0948-3276 SN - 0022-9520 VL - 75 IS - 6 SP - 39 EP - 46 PB - Hüthig AN - OPUS4-56501 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Gleuwitz, F. Robert A1 - Battig, Alexander A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Tenebrio molitor Beetle as a “Nonvegan” Adjuvant to Flame Retardants in Tannic Acid-Based Epoxy Thermosets N2 - Material solutions that meet both circular bioeconomy policies and high technical requirements have become a matter of particular interest. In this work, a prospectively abundant proteinrich waste resource for the manufacturing of flame-retardant epoxy biocomposites, as well as for the synthesis of biobased flame retardants or adjuvants, is introduced. Different biomass fillers sourced from the cultivation of the mealworm beetle Tenebrio molitor are embedded in a bioepoxy resin cured with tannic acid and investigated regarding the fire performance of the thermosets. By means of spectroscopic and thermal analysis (attenuated total reflectance FTIR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis-coupled FTIR spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry), the influence of the biomass microparticles on the curing and thermal degradation behavior is evaluated. The final performance of the biocomposites is assessed based on fire testing methodology (limited oxygen index, UL-94, and cone calorimetry). Providing a high charring efficiency in the specific tannic acid-based epoxy matrix, the protein-rich adult beetle is further investigated in combination with commercial environmentally benign flame retardants in view of its potential as an adjuvant. The results highlight a char forming effect of nonvegan fillers in the presence of tannic acid, particularly during thermal decomposition, and point toward the potential of protein-based flame retardants from industrial insect rearing for future formulations. KW - Tannic acid KW - Flame retardancy KW - Sustainable KW - Epoxy resin KW - Insects PY - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.2c00746 SN - 2168-0485 VL - 10 IS - 19 SP - 6313 EP - 6324 PB - ACS AN - OPUS4-54845 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mund, M. A1 - Häßler, Dustin A1 - Schaumann, P. A1 - Hothan, Sascha A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Experimentelle Untersuchungen zur Dauerhaftigkeit von reaktiven Brandschutzsystemen N2 - Reaktive Brandschutzsysteme finden im baulichen Brandschutz Anwendung zur Erhöhung des Feuerwiderstands von Stahlkonstruktionen. Neben den Anforderungen an die Feuerwiderstandsdauer können damit auch Ansprüche an die Ästhetik erfüllt werden. Die profilfolgende Applikation und die geringen Trockenschichtdicken der Produkte ermöglichen es, das filigrane Erscheinungsbild von Stahlkonstruktionen aufrechtzuerhalten. Neben der thermischen Schutzwirkung muss auch die Dauerhaftigkeit der Brandschutzbeschichtung sichergestellt werden. Die Bewertungsmethoden, die auf europäischer Ebene durch das EAD 350402-00-1106 zur Verfügung stehen, zielen auf eine Nutzungsdauer von zehn Jahren ab. Prüfverfahren für einen darüber hinausgehenden Zeitraum sind nicht beschrieben. In diesem Beitrag werden experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Einfluss der Bewitterung auf das Expansionsverhalten, zur thermischen Schutzwirkung und zu den während des Aufschäumens im Brandfall stattfindenden Reaktionen vorgestellt. Die Versuche wurden an einem wasserbasierten und einem epoxidharzbasierten reaktiven Brandschutzsystem durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse wurden im Rahmen des IGF-Forschungsvorhabens 20470 N erzielt. KW - Brandschutz KW - Reaktive Brandschutzsysteme KW - Brandversuche KW - Alterung KW - Dauerhaftigkeit PY - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/stab.202200063 SN - 0038-9145 VL - 92 IS - 2 SP - 93 EP - 102 PB - Ernst & Sohn CY - Berlin AN - OPUS4-56346 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Xu, C. A1 - Battig, Alexander A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Siegel, R. A1 - Senker, J. A1 - von der Forst, I. A1 - Unverzagt, C. A1 - Agarwal, S. A1 - Möglich, A. A1 - Greiner, A. T1 - Investigation of the Thermal Stability of Proteinase K for the Melt Processing of Poly(L‑lactide) N2 - The enzymatic degradation of aliphatic polyesters offers unique opportunities for various use cases in materials science. Although evidently desirable, the implementation of enzymes in technical applications of polyesters is generally challenging due to the thermal lability of enzymes. To prospectively overcome this intrinsic limitation, we here explored the thermal stability of proteinase K at conditions applicable for polymer melt processing, given that this hydrolytic enzyme is well established for its ability to degrade poly(L-lactide) (PLLA). Using assorted spectroscopic methods and enzymatic assays, we investigated the effects of high temperatures on the structure and specific activity of proteinase K. Whereas in solution, irreversible unfolding occurred at temperatures above 75−80 °C, in the dry, bulk state, proteinase K withstood prolonged incubation at elevated temperatures. Unexpectedly little activity loss occurred during incubation at up to 130 °C, and intermediate levels of catalytic activity were preserved at up to 150 °C. The resistance of bulk proteinase K to thermal treatment was slightly enhanced by absorption into polyacrylamide (PAM) particles. Under these conditions, after 5 min at a temperature of 200 °C, which is required for the melt processing of PLLA, proteinase K was not completely denatured but retained around 2% enzymatic activity. Our findings reveal that the thermal processing of proteinase K in the dry state is principally feasible, but equally, they also identify needs and prospects for improvement. The experimental pipeline we establish for proteinase K analysis stands to benefit efforts directed to this end. More broadly, our work sheds light on enzymatically degradable polymers and the thermal processing of enzymes, which are of increasing economical and societal relevance. KW - Enzymatic degradation KW - Poly(L‑lactide) KW - Polyesters KW - biodegradation PY - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01008 SN - 1525-7797 SN - 1526-4602 VL - 23 IS - 11 SP - 4841 EP - 4850 PB - ACS Publications AN - OPUS4-56292 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Composites in Fire and Flame N2 - Overview over the research results of the BAM in the field fire retardancy of composites. In different applications the flame retardancy of composites targets on different fire protection goals in the fire scenarios ignition, developing fire, and fully developed fire. Efficient solutions are tailored to pass a distinct fire test and to fit to a specific material. Flame inhibition as main flame retardancy mode of action combined with a minor mode of action in the condensed phase is general very efficient approach for composites. Alternatively residue design is demanded to achieve good results with only condensed phase mechanisms. Improving the fire stability asks for protective fire residues. T2 - Climate Change @ Fire Science Workshop CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 10.11.2022 KW - Composites in fire KW - Flame retarded composites KW - Fire stability KW - Phosphorous flame retardants KW - Residue design PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56299 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -