Mechanisms of action of some sulphates as flame retardants for cellulose

✍ Scribed by C.F. Cullis; M.M. Mirschler; M.A.A.M. Khattab

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 530 KB
• Volume: 26
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-3057
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-3057(90)90190-f

✦ Synopsis

Measurements have been made of the flammability and of the thermal behaviour of systems containing cellulose, inorganic sulphates and an organic halogen compound. All the sulphates have some flame-retardant action but aluminium sulphate and ammonium sulphates are, on their own, the most effective, owing presumably to their superior ability to dehydrate the polymer. The flame-retardant effect of zinc sulphate is markedly increased by the simultaneous presence of a suitable halogen compound. It is shown that aluminium sulphate catalyses decomposition of the brominated additive, causing the release of hydrogen bromide into the gas phase. In contrast, zinc sulphate interacts extensively with the bromine compound to form zinc bromide, which becomes the active species responsible for dehydration of the cellulose.