Sacrifice Few to Save Many: Fire Protective Interlayers in Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Laminates

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Fire Safety Engineering

Background:

• Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates require effective fire protection, often achieved with flame-retardant coatings.
• Coatings can lose efficacy under direct fire due to rapid pyrolysis, compromising structural integrity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the integration of protective interlayers within CFRP laminates to improve fire resistance.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of various interlayer materials as sacrificial barriers against direct fire exposure.

Main Methods:

• Incorporated diverse interlayers (WHIPOX, titanium foil, PEI foil, basalt fibers, rubber mat, hemp fibers) into CFRP laminate structures.
• Conducted bench-scale fire resistance tests applying direct flame (180 kW/m²) and simultaneous compressive load.

Main Results:

• CFRP laminates with integrated protective interlayers demonstrated significantly prolonged time to failure.
• Failure times were extended by up to a factor of 10 compared to unprotected laminates.

Conclusions:

• Integrating protective interlayers is a viable and effective strategy for enhancing the fire resistance of CFRP laminates.
• This approach offers improved resilience against fire-induced structural failure, advancing fire protection for composite materials.