• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.47-58
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• 2011

Halogen free intumescent flame retardants(IFRS), such as the mixture of melamine phosphate(MP) and char forming agents(pentaerythritol(PER), di-pentaerythritol(DiPER), tris(2-hydroxyethyl) isocyanurate(THEIC)), were prepared and characterized. Polypropylene(PP)/$IFR_S$ composites were also prepared in the presence of ethylene diamine phosphate(EDAP) as a synergist and used into flame retardant PP powder coatings. Thermoplastic PP powder coatings at 20 wt% flame retardant loading were manufactured by extruded and then mechanical cryogenic crushed to bring them in fine powder form. These intumescent flame retardant powder coatings($IFRPC_S$) were applied on mild steel surface for the purpose of protection and decorative. It is a process in which a $IFRPC_S$ particles coming in contact with the preheated mild steel surface melt and form a thin coating layer. The obtained MP flame retardant was analyzed by utilizing FTIR, solid-state $^{31}P$ NMR, ICP, EA and PSA. The mechanical properties as tensile strength, melt flow index(MFI) and the thermal property as TGA/DTA and the fire safety characteristics as limiting oxygen index(LOI), UL94 test, SEM were used to investigate the effect of $IFRPC_S$. The experimental results show that the presence of $IFR_S$ considerably enhanced the fire retardant performances as evidenced by the increase of LOI values 17.3 vol% and 32.6 vol% for original PP and $IFRPC_S$-3(PP/MP-DiPER/EDAP), respectively, and a reduction in total flaming combustion time(under 15 sec) in UL94 test of $IFRPC_S$. The prepared $IFRPC_S$-3 have good comprehensive properties with fire retardancy 3.2 mm UL94 V-0 level, LOI value 32.6%, tensile strength $247.3kg/cm^2$, surface roughness Ra $0.78{\mu}m$, showing a better application prospect. Through $IFRPC_S$-2(PP/MP-PER/EDAP) and $IFRPC_S$-3 a better flame retardancy than that of the $IFRPC_S$-1(PP/MP/EDAP) was investigated which was responsible for the formed more dense and compact char layer, improved synergy effect of MP and PER/DiPER.