Collaborative Research: Study of Flammability, Mechanism and Heat/Mass Transfer Associated with Burning of Flame Retardant Polymer Nanocomposites

1336162/1336254 Mannan/Wang用于建筑的家庭中使用的高度易燃的聚合物如聚（甲基丙烯酸甲酯），在火灾的情况下，造成惊人的死亡和财产损失。 这项工作的目的是促进阻燃性的最终目标的实现，聚合物基体的广泛炭化，这意味着聚合物可以在使用温度下使用，而在火灾的情况下，它会迅速炭化，限制可燃挥发物的产生。 这将通过形成新的聚合物纳米复合材料来实现，该复合材料显示出两种类型的纳米填料的协同效应：一种形成物理屏障，另一种通过在燃烧期间改变其降解途径来催化炭化聚合物。 鉴于缺乏定性和定量的了解，每种类型的纳米填料的阻燃机制，本研究将重点研究的动力学和质量和热量传递过程中涉及的燃烧的聚合物与和没有纳米填料，定性使用热分析和定量使用锥形量热计实验。 所产生的新知识将通过出版物、书籍部分和德克萨斯农工大学和俄克拉荷马州州立大学的消防安全课程传播。 这项研究的广泛影响是双重的，它将有助于更好地了解纳米填料在基础阻燃性中的作用，同时对开发新的更好的阻燃材料提供实用的见解，这些材料有可能取代现有材料，提供足够的时间及时疏散和及时控制火灾，因为热量释放较少。

1336162/1336254Mannan/WangHighly flammable polymers like poly (methyl methacrylate) used in homes for construction, in case of fire, cause an alarming number of deaths and property loss. The objective of this work is to facilitate the accomplishment of the ultimate goal of fire retardancy, extensive charring of the polymer matrix, which means that the polymer can be used at the service temperature, whereas in case of fire, it would rapidly char, limiting the production of combustible volatiles. This will be accomplished by forming new polymer nanocomposites which show synergistic effects of the two types of nanofillers: one forms a physical barrier and the other catalytically chars the polymer by changing its degradation pathway during burning. In view of the lack of qualitative and quantitative understanding of the fire retardant mechanism of each type of nanofiller, this research will focus on studying the kinetics and the mass and heat transfer processes involved in the burning of the polymer with and without the nanofillers, qualitatively using thermal analysis and quantitatively using cone-calorimeter experiments. The new knowledge generated would be disseminated through publications, book sections, and fire safety courses at Texas A&M University and Oklahoma State University. The broad impact of this research is twofold, such that it would contribute to better understanding of the role of nanofillers in fire retardancy at the fundamental level and at the same time give a practical insight on the development of new and better fire retardant materials with the potential of replacing existing materials, providing enough time for timely evacuation and timely control of fires due to less heat release.