Supper-low-addition flame retardant for the fully bio-based poly(lactic acid) composites

Highly efficient flame retardants for polylactic acid (PLA) are not easy to prepare, let alone fully bio-based ones. Herein, the furfurylamine phytate (PAF) was simply fabricated using phytic acid and furfurylamine in the ethanol solutions. Furthermore, the PAF could provide PLA with high flame retardancy with low loadings. The flame retardancy of PLA/PAF composites was investigated by the limited oxygen index (LOI), vertical burning tests, and cone calorimeter tests. The PLA containing 2 phr PAF showed the highest LOI value (around 34.2%) and self-extinguished without igniting cotton in the vertical burning test. Meanwhile, the peak of heat release and total heat release decreased compared with the neat PLA. Moreover, the PLA/PAF(1.5) composite could achieve the balance between the mechanical property and flame retardancy. This findings provided a facile and green method for fully bio-based flame-retardant PLA composites to expand the practical applications of PLA, such as electrics, building, and transportation.

Automated summary

In this study, a highly efficient flame retardant called furfurylamine phytate (PAF) was fabricated using phytic acid and furfurylamine. The PAF showed excellent flame retardancy for polylactic acid (PLA) at low loadings. The flame retardancy of PLA/PAF composites was evaluated through various tests, and the results showed that the addition of PAF greatly improved the flame retardancy of PLA without sacrificing its mechanical properties. This research provides a simple and green method for the development of fully bio-based flame-retardant PLA composites.