Phytic Acid/ADP Interfacial Assembly for Flame Retardancy and Self-Extinguishment in Cellulose Paper

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Flame Retardancy

Background:

• Cellulose paper is widely used but flammable.
• Developing effective flame retardants is crucial for safety.
• Ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) shows limited flame retardancy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel flame retardant composites.
• To evaluate the flame retardant efficiency of ADP-P@Mn and ADP-P@Ni in cellulose paper.
• To investigate the mechanism of flame retardancy.

Main Methods:

• Interfacial assembly of ammonium dihydrogen phosphate (ADP) with transition metal-phytic acid (PA) complexes (Mn and Ni).
• Preparation of flame-retardant cellulose paper by incorporating ADP-P@Mn and ADP-P@Ni composites.
• Morphological analysis, bond characterization (P-O-Mn, P-O-Ni), and flame retardancy testing (flame spread rate, self-extinguishing properties).
• Analysis of char residue composition and structure.

Main Results:

• ADP-P@Mn and ADP-P@Ni composites were successfully synthesized, showing altered particle morphology and confirmed bridging bonds.
• Both composites significantly enhanced flame retardancy, reducing flame spread rate by up to 50% compared to pristine ADP.
• Even at low concentrations, the novel flame retardants imparted self-extinguishing properties to cellulose paper.
• Formation of a dense carbonaceous char layer with increased C and O content was observed, indicating effective flame barrier formation.

Conclusions:

• ADP-P@Mn and ADP-P@Ni composites are highly effective flame retardants for cellulose paper.
• Synergistic flame-retardant effects are attributed to the formation of stable carbonaceous layers and bridging bonds.
• These novel flame retardants enhance fire safety without negatively impacting essential paper properties like writing performance and mechanical strength.