Influence of carbon nanotubes on fire behavior and on decomposition products of thermoplastic polymers

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