TY - JOUR A1 - Pawlowski, Kristin A1 - Schartel, Bernhard A1 - Fichera, Mario Augusto A1 - Jäger, Christian T1 - Flame retardancy mechanisms of bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) in combination with zinc borate in bisphenol A polycarbonate/Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blends N2 - Bisphenol A polycarbonate/acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (PC/ABS) with and without bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BDP) and 5 wt.% zinc borate (Znb) were investigated. The pyrolysis was studied by thermogravimetry (TG), TG-FTIR and NMR, the fire behaviour with a cone calorimeter applying different heat fluxes, LOI and UL 94. Fire residues were examined with NMR. BDP affects the decomposition of PC/ABS and acts as a flame retardant in the gas and condensed phases. The addition of Znb results in an additional hydrolysis of PC. The fire behaviour is similar to PC/ABS, aside from a slightly increased LOI and a reduced peak heat release rate, both caused by borates improving the barrier properties of the char. In PC/ABS + BDP + Znb, the addition of Znb yields a borate network and amorphous phosphates. Znb also reacts with BDP to form alpha-zinc phosphate and borophosphates that suppress the original flame retardancy mechanisms of BDP. The inorganic–organic residue formed provides more effective flame retardancy, in particular at low irradiation in the cone calorimeter, and a clear synergy in LOI, whereas for more developed fires BDP + Znb become less effective than BDP in PC/ABS with respect to the total heat evolved. KW - Flame retardancy KW - PC/ABS KW - Aryl phosphate KW - Zinc borate KW - Flammability PY - 2010 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tca.2009.10.007 SN - 0040-6031 SN - 1872-762X VL - 498 IS - 1-2 SP - 92 EP - 99 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam AN - OPUS4-20746 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -