Preparation of boron-coated expandable graphite and its application in flame retardant rigid polyurethane foam

A novel boron-coated expandable graphite(BEG) material was prepared by first wrapping polyvinyl alcohol( PVA) onto expandable graphite(EG) and then condensing with boric acid. The obtained BEG was characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM), Fourier transform infrared(FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS), and thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). The fire performance and mechanical properties of the rigid polyurethane foam(RPUF) filled with BEG were investigated by limiting oxygen index(LOI), horizontal and vertical burning, cone calorimetry(CONE), and electronic tensile tests. BEG shows an improved compactness of the char layers upon thermal expansion, which is effective for the flame retardancy of RPUF. With a loading of 10%, RPUF/BEG exhibited a higher LOI, >10% reduction in heat release rate and carbon monoxide release, as well as a decrease in smoke release during the beginning of combustion compared to RPUF/EG. Moreover, the compressive strength and modulus of RPUF/BEG were increased. The improved flame retardancy of BEG on RPUF can be attributed to the suppression of the “popcorn effect” of EG by PVA-boric acid, and the improved mechanical property can be attributed to the presence of PVA.