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Biomimetic Nanoporous Transparent Universal Fire-Resistant Coatings
Lin Zhang1, Ai-Ning Zhang1, Shuang-Mei He1
1The Collaborative Innovation Center for Eco-Friendly and Fire-Safety Polymeric Materials, National Engineering Laboratory of Eco-Friendly Polymeric Materials (Sichuan), State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
This study developed a transparent flame-retardant coating using a moth-eye inspired nanoporous structure. The innovative coating offers excellent fire protection and high transparency for various materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Polymeric materials present significant fire hazards due to their flammability.
- Developing transparent flame-retardant coatings is crucial for safety but technically challenging.
- Existing solutions often compromise transparency or protective efficacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design a universal flame-retardant protective coating with high transparency.
- To investigate the fire-fighting performance and mechanical properties of the novel coating.
- To demonstrate the coating's applicability on diverse substrates.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a nanoporous coating structure inspired by the moth-eye effect.
- Utilizing hydrophilic-hydrophobic interactive assembly with phosphoric acid protonated amino siloxane.
- Characterization of optical properties (transparency, water vapor transmittance) and fire-fighting performance.
- Evaluation of mechanical properties on various flexible and rigid substrates.
Main Results:
- The coating achieved >97% visible light transparency and 96% water vapor transmittance.
- Synergistic effects of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and silicon (Si) enhanced char formation and restricted substrate decomposition.
- The coating exhibited robust adhesion and excellent fire-fighting performance on fabrics, foams, paper, and wood.
- Coated samples, both flexible and rigid, demonstrated superior mechanical properties.
Conclusions:
- A novel moth-eye inspired nanoporous coating effectively combines flame retardancy and high transparency.
- The coating's formulation and structure provide robust fire protection and maintain material integrity.
- This research offers a new strategy for designing advanced protective coatings with dual functionality.
