Preparation and properties of CNSs-BA/PET composites integrated with flame retardancy and melt-drop resistance

The inherent flammability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) poses a considerable THReat to human lives and property, yet conventional flame retardants fail to adequately address both flame resistance and melt-drop concerns. To effectively enhance both the flame retardancy and melt-drop resistance of PET, a novel nanocarbon- method. The morphology structure and thermal stability of CNSs-BA were characterized. The flame retardancy of based composite flame retardant, CNSs-BA, was prepared by grafting aromatic Schiff bases (BA) on the surface of carbon nanospheres (CNSs), and the composite was prepared by introducing CNSs-BA into PET via melt blending CNSs-BA/PET composites and its flame retardant mechanism were investigated. The results show that the CNSs-BA with the addition of just 2.0wt.% of CNSs-BA, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of the CNSs-BA/PET composite increased significantly from 21.0% to 28.1%, achieving a UL-94 V-0 flame retardant grade. Furthermore, the peak heat exhibit a spherical shape with a particle size approximating 50 nm and possess remarkable thermal stability. Notably, release rate was reduced by an impressive 46.3%. The investigation into the flame retardant mechanism revealed that the CNSs-BA/PET composite exhibits a typical condensed-phase flame retardant behavior. The introduction of CNSs-BA greatly enhances the char formation of PET, with the high-temperature char residual of the composite increasing by 55.4% compared to pure PET, and the actual value of char formation exceeds the theoretical value. Moreover, the addition of CNSs-BA flame retardant triggers high-temperature crosslinking in PET after melting, leading to a substantial improvement in the density, continuity and thermal stability of the char layer formed during the combustion of the CNSs-BA/PET composite.