Flame retardant PE foam materials and technologies

Plastic foam due to its special chemical structure, determines that most plastic products are flammable products, when burning some will also produce a large number of toxic gases and dust, on human health and the environment have a particularly bad impact. In some cases, foam plastics require certain flame retardant properties to meet the requirements of safe fire prevention, which requires flame retardant treatment of foam plastics.

Polyethylene (PE) foam has only two elements of carbon and oxygen in the molecular chain, so it is very easy to burn, thus limiting the use of PE foam in refrigeration and air conditioning, heating and insulation and other fields as building interior materials, so it can be added flame retardant to polyethylene to achieve flame retardant effect and meet customer requirements.

The synergistic effect of antimony oxides and halogens commonly used in industry plays a role in insulation, oxygen insulation, and flame retardancy. Its flame retardant mechanism is that the two react to generate a volatile substance with a high boiling point of halogenated antimony, which can stay in the combustion area for a long time, not only in the liquid-solid phase can promote the carbonization of the polymer surface, but also in the gas phase can be captured. OH radicals, which prevent the polymer from further decomposing to produce flammable gases. Antimony halide can become a gas at the combustion temperature, which has the effect of heat absorption and cooling, which can prevent the spread of combustion and play a flame retardant effect. Common are antimony trioxide with chlorinated paraffins, and antimony trioxide with decabromophenyl ether. In addition, polyvinyl chloride can also be blended and modified, two or more polymers are physically forced and uniformly mixed together. For example, pe and EVA blending modification can improve its comprehensive performance, especially impact resistance and environmental stress cracking resistance. Some literature mentions the use of lamination molding methods to prepare flame-retardant PE foam, but this technology is currently immature and needs to be further explored.