TY - JOUR A1 - Rockel, Daniel A1 - Sanchez Olivares, G. A1 - Calderas, F. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Two heads are better than one: Aluminum trihydroxide / phosphorous flame retardant combination in natural waste fiber biocomposites N2 - Future polymeric materials that replace fossil fuel-based engineering plastics demand the use of renewable sources as well as the implementation of key properties such as flame retardancy, processing, and mechanical properties. This study focuses on the combination of aluminum trihydroxide (ATH) and phosphorus-based flame retardants in compositable thermoplastic starch reinforced with sustainable multifunctional leather waste fibers. The flame retardants engender different flame-retardant modes of action, improving overall performance when combined. The partial substitution of ATH with phosphorous flame retardant allowed a reduction in flame retardant loading. Materials with 90 phr of ATH reached a limiting oxygen index of 31.5 vol.-% and a UL-94 rating of V-1, whereas the combination of 73 phr ATH and 7 phr of diphenyl ocytyl phosphate achieved a V-0 rating and a slightly reduced peak of heat release rate. This study demonstrates the potential of multicomponent systems implementing waste fiber–reinforced biocomposites. KW - Biocomposites KW - Flame retardancy KW - Phosphorous flame retardants KW - Synergism KW - Sustainability PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-639084 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2025.108938 SN - 0142-9418 SN - 1873-2348 VL - 150 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63908 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Krebs, N. A1 - Demleitner, M. A1 - Albuquerque, R.Q. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Ruckdäschel, H. T1 - Bayesian Optimization of flame-retardant performance in a high-Tg epoxy resin system N2 - Polymeric materials are widely used due to their mechanical properties and cost-effectiveness, but their inherent flammability requires effective flame-retardant additives to meet safety standards. Optimizing multicomponent flame-retardant formulations is challenging due to the vast experimental space. This study applies Bayesian Optimization (BO) to optimize flame-retardant formulations in high glass transition temperature (Tg) epoxy resins. Aluminum diethyl phosphinate (AlPi) was systematically combined with three synergists: zinc stannate (ZnSt), a silicone-based additive (DowSil), and low-melting glass frits (Ceepree). BO-guided experimental design expanded from 16 initial formulations to a total of 28, minimizing the Maximum Average Rate of Heat Emission (MARHE) under the constraint of Total Smoke Production (TSP) < 17 m2 using the epsilon-constraint method. BO revealed non-linear synergistic interactions: ZnSt significantly reduced smoke production while AlPi effectively lowered heat release. The optimized formulation (BO7) achieved the lowest MARHE (122 kW/m2) while maintaining acceptable smoke levels, establishing a new Pareto front. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of BO in accelerating the development of synergistic, halogen-free flame-retardant polymer systems, offering a scalable and sustainable approach to polymer formulation design. KW - Machine learning KW - Epoxy resin KW - Bayesian optimization KW - Flame retardancy KW - Cone calorimeter PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-641070 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.commatsci.2025.114210 SN - 0927-0256 SN - 1879-0801 VL - 260 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier AN - OPUS4-64107 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Chacon Castro, Jose P. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Translating Flame Retardant Strategies: Analogy from Polyolefins and Bisphenol A polycarbonates to Poly(limonene carbonate) N2 - Poly(limonene carbonate)—PLimC—offers a novel sustainable alternative to traditional polymers, as it is derived from renewable limonene and carbon dioxide as monomers. Proposing PLimC as a future technical polymer for applications in electrical and electronic (E&E) devices, construction, and transportation, PLimC must meet specific fire prevention standards to be deemed suitable. Starting from the chemical structure of PLimC, strategies in analogy to flame retarded bisphenol A polycarbonates (PC), PC blends, and polyolefins (PO) are investigated to identify the most effective route to enhance the flame resistance of PLimC. This study utilized four halogen-free flame-retardant (FR) systems: APP + pentaerythritol (standard intumescent system in PO), a phosphorus flame retardant+PTFE as anti-dripping agent (used in PC blends), metal hydroxide ATH (widely used in PO), and potassium sulfonate salt (specific solution for PC). Applying these FRs at typical PC, PC blends, and PO loadings, we aim to understand their effect on PLimC and evaluated the different flame-retardant routes. Our experimental evaluations focused on the thermal properties, flammability, and fire behavior of each system. ATH emerged as the most effective, reducing the effective heat of combustion from 29.3 MJ kg⁻¹ to 18.6 MJ kg⁻¹ and the total heat evolved from 95 to 55 MJ m⁻². It also resulted in an increase in the limiting oxygen index from 17.1 to 26 vol.-% O2, along with a UL 94 HB40 rating. The intumescent system also exhibited considerable flame retardancy, highlighting the similarity of PLimC’s fire behavior to that of PO rather than PC KW - Poly(limonene carbonate) KW - Flame retardancy KW - Sustainability KW - Intumescent systems KW - Metal hydroxides KW - Sulfonate salts KW - Phosphorus flame retardants PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-643257 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111711 SN - 1873-2321 SN - 0141-3910 VL - 242 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-64325 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Dudziak, Mateusz A1 - Dural, Esra A1 - Dey, R. A1 - Ullrich, M. S. A1 - Huth, Christian A1 - Thomson, C. A1 - Schartel, Bernhard T1 - Together We Can: Synergistic Flame Retardancy by Melamine Polyphosphate and Phosphorylated Microalgae in Polylactide Biocomposites N2 - A strategy for enhancing the sustainable flame retardancy of polylactide (PLA) composites by partially replacing melamine polyphosphate (MPP), a commercial flame retardant proposed for PLA, with wastewater polyphosphate-enriched microalgae (P-Algae) has been explored. The incorporation of P-Algae at a 1:1 ratio with MPP leads to a notable synergistic effect, surpassing the expected additive behavior of the individual components. Comprehensive characterization encompassing thermogravimetric analysis coupled with FTIR, pyrolysis combustion flow calorimeter (PCFC), cone calorimeter, oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 tests, and rheological measurements—demonstrates that the presence of this biomaterial can significantly enhance flame retardant performance. Replacing 50% of MPP with P-Algae in PLA resulted in a 17% reduction in peak heat release rate (pHRR) and maintained a V-0 rating in UL-94 testing. The use of P-Algae does not compromise the flame retardancy of PLA but rather contributes positively, offering a promising path toward more sustainable flame-retardant systems. By leveraging naturally derived biomass, this approach aligns with the growing demand for novel eco-friendly technologies in polymer engineering. Insights into an innovative renewable additive as a functional and effective component in flame-retardant biocomposites have been achieved. KW - Flame retardancy KW - Melamine polyphosphate KW - Phosphorus- enriched microalgae KW - Polylactide PLA KW - Synergism PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-640539 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/pat.70350 SN - 1099-1581 SN - 1042-7147 VL - 36 IS - 9 SP - e70350 PB - John Wiley & Sons Ltd. AN - OPUS4-64053 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -