Cellulose Nanocrystals/Melamine/Phytic Acid Nanocomposites as Thermally Insulating and Flame-Retardant Structural Materials
Meiqin Wu, Yunhui Chen, Hou‐Yong Yu, Xiaosong Liu, Yanjuan Dong, Peng‐Cheng Qian, Xiaohua Wang
Abstract
Traditional halogenated flame retardants (FRs) have been severely hindered because they are toxic and hazardous carcinogenic byproducts during their application. In this study, we present a biobased FR composite consisting of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) modified with melamine (MEL) and phytic acid (PA) through successive grafting and electrostatic adsorption processes. It was found that the CNC/MEL/PA nanocomposite had a noticeable highly improved thermal blocking performance of the cellulose nanofibril aerogel, excellent carbon layer formation, and high thermal insulation ability because of a synergistic FR effect between the components in both the condensed and gas phases. These findings highlight the potential of nanoscale engineering in producing structural foams with excellent fire-retardant properties using cellulose and other nanosized fibrous biomaterials.