INFLUENCE OF CARBON NANOTUBES ON FIRE BEHAVIOR AND ON DECOMPOSITION PRODUCTS OF THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERS

摘要

Carbon nanotubes based poly(methyl methacrylate) and polyamide-6 nanocomposites have beeninvestigated using various techniques within the framework of the Nanofeu project. STEM was usedto characterize morphologies of composites, while fire properties were studied using cone calorimeter(CC), fire propagation apparatus (FPA) and pyrolysis combustion flow microcalorimeter (PCFC). Thestudy focused particularly on composition and microstructure of gaseous and aerosol products.Composition of gaseous effluents was analyzed using FTIR coupled with FPA. Morphology ofultrafine particles released from the combustion of nanocomposites was studied using cascadeimpactors and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). Fire behavior has been interpreted in relation withthe degradation mechanisms specifically induced by the presence of nanotubes. Molecular modellingsimulations, providing molecular insights into the interactions between polymers and nanotubes,aimed to support the analysis of the experimental results.