Flame Inhibition and Charring Effect of Aromatic Polyimide and Aluminum Diethylphosphinate in Polyamide 6

An aromatic macromolecular polyimide (API) was synthesized and characterized, and used as a synergistic charring flame retardant in glass fiber reinforced polyamide 6 (GF/PA6). API and aluminum diethylphosphinate (ADP) exhibited better flame inhibition behavior and synergistic charring flame retardant behavior compared with ADP alone. The 5%API/7%ADP/GF/PA6 sample achieved the lower peak value of the heat release rate (pk-HRR) at 497 kW/m² and produced higher residue yields of 36.1 wt.%, verifying that API and ADP have an outstanding synergistic effect on the barrier effect. The API/ADP system facilitated the formation of a carbonaceous, phosphorus and aluminum-containing compact char layer with increased barrier effect. FTIR spectra of the residue and real-time TGA-FTIR analysis on the evolved gases from PA6 composites revealed that API interacted with ADP/PA6 and locked in more P⁻O⁻C and P⁻O⁻Ar content, which is the main mechanism for improving flame inhibition and charring ability. In addition, the API/ADP system improved the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of GF/PA6 composites compared to ADP alone.