TY - JOUR A1 - Tan, Yi A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Kukofka, Tobias A1 - Klack, Patrick A1 - Ruder, J. A1 - Lin, Xuebao A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Degradation of flame retardance: A comparison of ethylene‐vinyl acetate and low‐density polyethylene cables with two different metal hydroxides N2 - The durability of flame retardancy is a challenge for cables over long lifetimes. The degradation of flame retardance is investigated in two kinds of exposures, artificial weathering and humidity. In this basic study, typical mineral flame retardants in two polymers frequently used in cable jackets are investigated to get the fundamental picture. Aluminum hydroxide (ATH) and magnesium hydroxide (MDH) are compared in ethylene‐vinyl acetate (EVA), and further in EVA and linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) cables containing the same ATH. The changes in chemical structure at the surface are studied through attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), the formation of cracks, and changes in color are investigated. The cone calorimeter and a bench scale fire testing cable module are utilized to evaluate the fire behavior of the cables. Although the flame retardancy deteriorated slightly, it survived harsh exposure conditions for 2000 h. Compared to EVA/MDH and LLDPE/ATH, the fire behavior of EVA/ATH is the least sensitive. Taken together, all of the results converge to estimate that there will be no problem with flame retardancy performance, for materials subjected to natural exposure for several years; the durability of fire retardancy is questionable for longer periods, and thus requires further investigation. KW - Durability KW - Flame retardant KW - Aluminum hydroxide (ATH) KW - Magnesium hydroxide KW - Ethylene-vinyl acetate KW - Cables KW - Weathering PY - 2021 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-519573 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/app.50149 VL - 138 IS - 14 SP - 50149 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-51957 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Tan, Yi A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Klack, Patrick A1 - Kukofka, Tobias A1 - Ruder, J. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Durability of the flame retardance of ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer cables: Comparing different flame retardants exposed to different weathering conditions N2 - Scientific publications addressing the durability of the flame retardance of cables during their long-term application are rare and our understanding lacks. Three commercial flame retardants, aluminum hydroxide, aluminum diethyl phosphinate (AlPi-Et), and intumescent flame retardant based on ammonium polyphosphate, applied in ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) model cables, are investigated. Different artificial aging scenarios were applied: accelerated weathering (UV-irradiation/temperature/rain phases), humidity exposure (elevated temperature/humidity), and salt spray exposure. The deterioration of cables’ surface and flame retardancy were monitored through imaging, color measurements, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and cone calorimeter investigations. Significant degradation of the materials’ surface occurred. The flame retardant EVA cables are most sensitive to humidity exposure; the cable with AlPi-Et is the most sensitive to the artificial aging scenarios. Nevertheless, substantial flame retardance persisted after being subjected for 2000 h, which indicates that the equivalent influence of natural exposure is limited for several years, but less so for long-term use. KW - Durability KW - Flame retardant KW - Cable KW - Weathering KW - Cone calorimeter PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/APP.47548 SN - 0021-8995 VL - 137 IS - 1 SP - 47548 PB - Wiley AN - OPUS4-50237 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lenz, J. U. A1 - Pospiech, D. A1 - Komber, H. A1 - Korwitz, A. A1 - Kobsch, O. A1 - Paven, M. A1 - Albach, R. W. A1 - Günther, Martin A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Effective halogen-free flame-retardant additives for crosslinked rigid polyisocyanurate foams: Comparison of chemical structures N2 - The impact of phosphorus-containing flame retardants (FR) on rigid polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams is studied by systematic variation of the chemical structure of the FR, including non-NCO-reactive and NCO-reactive dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepine 6-oxide (BPPO)- and 9,10 dihydro-9-oxa-10 phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO)-containing compounds, among them a number of compounds not reported so far. These PIR foams are compared with PIR foams without FR and with standard FRs with respect to foam properties, thermal decomposition, and fire behavior. Although BPPO and DOPO differ by just one oxygen atom, the impact on the FR properties is very significant: when the FR is a filler or a dangling (dead) end in the PIR polymer network, DOPO is more effective than BPPO. When the FR is a subunit of a diol and it is fully incorporated in the PIR network, BPPO delivers superior results. KW - Flame retardant; KW - Dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepine 6-oxide; BPPO KW - 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide; DOPO KW - Polyisocyanurate; PIR KW - Rigid foam KW - Cone calorimeter KW - Pudovik reaction PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-567712 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010172 SN - 1996-1944 VL - 16 IS - 1 SP - 1 EP - 22 PB - MDPI CY - Basel AN - OPUS4-56771 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Turski Silva Diniz, Analice A1 - Marti, J. M. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - High Heat Resistance Can Be Deceiving: Dripping Behavior of Polyamide 4.6 in Fire N2 - Polyamide 4.6 (PA46) is a high-heat-resistant polymer, but it has no dripping resistance under fire. Three commercial grades of PA46 are investigated under UL 94 vertical fire test conditions. Their performances are discussed based on the materials’ structural, thermal, and rheological properties. PA46 presents flaming drops, whereas dripping is prevented in the flame-retarded PA46. Friction-modified PA46 has increased flaming dripping. Temperature profiles of the specimens under fire and the temperature of the drops are measured by thermocouples. A UL 94 vertical test configuration consisting of two flame applications is designed to assess the quantitative dripping behavior of the set of materials by the particle finite element method (PFEM). Polymer properties (activation energy and Arrhenius coefficient of decomposition, char yield, density, effective heat of combustion, heat of decomposition, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity) in addition to rheological responses in high temperatures are estimated and measured as input parameters for the simulations. The dripping behavior obtained by simulated materials corresponds with the experimental results in terms of time and drop size. A consistent picture of the interplay of the different phenomena controlling dripping under fire appears to deliver a better understanding of the role of different materials’ properties KW - Dripping KW - UL 94 KW - PFEM KW - High heat resistance KW - Polyamide 4.6 KW - Flammability PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-586015 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.202300091 SN - 1439-2054 SN - 1438-7492 VL - 308 IS - 10 SP - 1 EP - 11 PB - Wiley-VCH AN - OPUS4-58601 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Markwart, J. C. A1 - Battig, Alexander A1 - Urbaniak, T. A1 - Haag, K. A1 - Koschek, K. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Wurm, F. R. T1 - Intrinsic flame retardant phosphonate-based vitrimers as a recyclable alternative for commodity polymers in composite materials N2 - Recycling of crosslinked fiber-reinforced polymers is difficult. Moreover, as they are often based on flammable resins, additional additives are needed. So-called “vitrimers” open the possibility of Recycling and reprocessing and repairing with dynamically crosslinked chemistries. To date, vitrimer-based composites still need flame retardant additives, such as organophosphates. An additive-free vitrimer composite has not been reported. Herein, we synthesized an intrinsic flame-retardant vitrimer, relying on vinylogous polyurethanes containing covalently installed phosphonates as flame-retardant units and prepared glassfiber-reinforced composites. We studied recycling and flame retardant properties and compared the data to phosphorus-free vitrimers and conventional epoxy resins (with and without additive flame retardant). Our phosphonate-based vitrimer proved in first tests, a flame retardant effect comparable to commercial flame retardant resins. The bending strength and bending modulus for the phosphorus-vitrimer glass fiber composites were comparable to glass fiber composites with permanently cross-linked epoxies. In summary, we were able to prove that the covalent installation of phosphonates into vitrimers allows the preparation of recyclable and intrinsic flame retardant composites that do not need flame retardant additives. We believe this concept can be expanded to other polymer networks and additives to generate recyclable and sustainable high-performance materials. KW - Vitrimer KW - Flame retardant KW - Recyclable KW - Organophosphonate KW - Polyurethane PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-510889 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d0py00275e VL - 11 IS - 30 SP - 4933 EP - 4941 AN - OPUS4-51088 LA - eng 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 DO - 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 - JOUR A1 - Fornacon-Wood, C. A1 - Stühler, M. R. A1 - Gallizioli, C. A1 - Manjunatha, B. R. A1 - Wachtendorf, Volker A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Plajer, A. J. T1 - Precise construction of weather-sensitive poly(ester-alt-thioesters) from phthalic thioanhydride and oxetane N2 - We report the selective ring opening copolymerisation (ROCOP) of oxetane and phthalic thioanhydride by a heterobimetallic Cr(III)K catalyst precisely yielding semi-crystalline alternating poly(esteralt- thioesters) which show improved degradability due to the thioester links in the polymer backbone. KW - Sulfur containing polymers KW - Durability KW - Weathering KW - Synthesis PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-590762 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/d3cc03315e SN - 1364-548X VL - 59 IS - 76 SP - 11353 EP - 11356 PB - RSC AN - OPUS4-59076 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 - Marti, J. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Oñate, E. T1 - Simulation of the burning and dripping cables in fire using the particle finite element method N2 - The behavior of the cable jacket in fire characterized by the tendency to melt and drip constitutes a major source of fire hazard. The reason is that the melted material may convey the flame from one point to another, expanding fire and contributing to the fire load. In this article, the capability of a new computational strategy based on the particle finite element method for simulating a bench-scale cables burning test is analyzed. The use bench-scale test has been previously used to simulate the full-scale test described in EN 50399. As the air effect is neglected, a simple combustion model is included. The samples selected are two cables consisting of a copper core and differently flame retarded thermoplastic polyurethane sheets. The key modeling parameters were determined from different literature sources as well as experimentally. During the experiment, the specimen was burned under the test set-up condition recording the process and measuring the temperature evolution by means of three thermocouples. Next, the test was reproduced numerically and compared with a real fire test. The numerical results show that the particle finite element method can accurately predict the evolution of the temperature and the melting of the jacket. KW - Dripping behavior KW - Particle finite element method KW - Cables in fire KW - Fire behavior KW - Fire simulation KW - Cable bundle PY - 2022 DO - https://doi.org/10.1177/07349041211039752 SN - 0734-9041 VL - 40 IS - 1 SP - 3 EP - 25 PB - Sage AN - OPUS4-54185 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Battig, Alexander A1 - Markwart, J. C. A1 - Wurm, F. R. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Sulfur's role in the flame retardancy of thio-ether–linked hyperbranched polyphosphoesters in epoxy resins N2 - Hyperbranched polyphosphoesters are promising multifunctional flame retardants for epoxy resins. These polymers were prepared via thiol-ene polyaddition reactions. While key chemical transformations and modes of actions were elucidated, the role of sulfur in the chemical composition remains an open question. In this study, the FR-performance of a series of phosphorus-based flame retardant additives with and without sulfur (thioethers or sulfones) in their structure are compared. The successful synthesis of thio-ether or sulfone-containing variants is described and verified by 1H and 31P NMR, also FTIR and MALDI-TOF. A decomposition process is proposed from pyrolytic evolved gas analysis (TG-FTIR, Py-GC/MS), and flame retardancy effect on epoxy resins is investigated under pyrolytic conditions and via fire testing in the cone calorimeter. The presence of sulfur increased thermal stability of the flame retardants and introduced added condensed phase action. Likely, Sulfur radical generation plays a key role in the flame-retardant mode of action, and sulfones released incombustible SO2. The results highlight the multifunctionality of the hyperbranched polymer, which displays better fire performance than its low molar mass thio-ether analogue due to the presence of vinyl groups and higher stability than its monomer due to the presence of thio-ether groups. KW - Phosphoester KW - Hyperbranched KW - Sulfur KW - Thio-ether KW - Flame retardant KW - Epoxy resin PY - 2020 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2019.109390 SN - 0014-3057 VL - 122 SP - 109390 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-50238 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -