Dependence of flame-retardant properties on density of expandable graphite filled rigid polyurethane foam

Different density rigid polyurethane foams (RPUF) filled with various expandable graphite loadings were fabricated by cast molding. The flame retardant properties of these composites were assessed by limiting oxygen index and horizontal and vertical burning tests. The results showed that the flame retardant efficiency got better with increase in the foam density at the fixed EG weight percent or with increase in the EG weight percent at the fixed foam density. After burning, the low density (0.065 g/cm(3)) pure burned RPUF produced the highly collapsed and carbonized material, while the high density (0.510 g/cm(3)) pure RPUF had little change in size and had reduced destruction of the material. Moreover, the scanning electronic microscope (SEM) observation showed that the higher density EG/RPUF composites had a more compact outer layer (burned layer) after burned, in which more wormlike materials composed of expanded graphite particles appeared. In addition, higher foam density led to less plastic deformation in the interface layer between the burned and the inside layers. These results indicated that a weight percent of a flame retardant additive that achieves satisfactory flame retardancy for a certain density foam cannot effectively be applied for another density foam. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 104: 3347-3355, 2007.