Interface-Engineered Sodium Alginate-Based Fire-Suppressing Gel: Strong Rheology and Efficient Gas-Solid Flame...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Fire Safety Engineering

Background:

• Environmental fires present significant risks to safety and ecosystems.
• Conventional flame retardants face limitations due to environmental concerns and efficacy issues.
• Developing sustainable and effective flame-retardant materials is crucial for fire prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a nitrogen-phosphorus synergistic bio-based flame-retardant gel using sodium alginate, ammonium polyphosphate, and phytic acid.
• To investigate the impact of the nitrogen/phosphorus molar ratio on gel properties and flame-retardant performance.
• To elucidate the synergistic flame-retardant mechanism.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of bio-based flame-retardant gels with varying N/P ratios, incorporating SiO2-APTES modification.
• Systematic investigation of gelation kinetics, rheological behavior, and microstructure.
• Evaluation of flame-retardant performance using techniques to measure heat release rate and smoke production.

Main Results:

• The optimal N/P ratio of 1/4 resulted in a stable dual-network gel structure.
• A synergistic gas-solid flame-retardant mechanism involving APP decomposition and char layer formation was identified.
• The optimal gel showed a 10% reduction in peak heat release rate and a 75% decrease in total smoke production compared to the control.

Conclusions:

• The developed bio-based flame-retardant gel demonstrates excellent fire safety properties.
• The nitrogen-phosphorus synergy and dual-network structure contribute to enhanced flame retardancy.
• This research offers a promising strategy for developing environmentally friendly and highly efficient flame-retardant materials.