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oai:recercat.cat:2117/4494042026-01-16T11:48:51Zcom_2072_1033col_2072_452950

Effects of layered nanoclays on the cellular structure, dynamic–mechanical–thermal properties and fire behavior of flame-retardant ABS foams Antunes, Marcelo de Sousa Pais Ghonjizadehsamani, Farnaz Redondo Realinho, Vera Cristina de Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Departament de Ciència i Enginyeria de Materials Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. POLY2 - Polyfunctional polymeric materials Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria dels materials ABS foams Phosphorus-based flame retardants Montmorillonite Layered double hydroxide Cone calorimeter The present work deals with the preparation and characterization of fire-retardant acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene (ABS) foams incorporating 25 wt% of a phosphorus flame-retardant (PFR) system formed by 50% of ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and 50% of aluminum diethylphosphinate (AlPi). To further enhance performance, 5 wt% of the PFR was replaced by either montmorillonite (MMT) or layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoparticles, maintaining the overall FR content constant. The formulations were prepared by melt blending, and foams were produced using a one-step supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) dissolution foaming process. The incorporation of the PFR, alone or partially replaced by nanoclays, resulted in foams with smaller cell sizes and higher cell nucleation densities compared to pure ABS, with cell sizes reducing from 60 µm to as low as 40 µm and cell densities reaching values > 107 cells/cm3. The presence of LDH notably modified the thermal decomposition of ABS–PFR, increasing the temperature at 5% mass loss (T5%) by more than 10 °C and the amount of formed residue by more than 15%. The ABS–PFR/LDH foam also showed a higher glass transition temperature (3 °C increase) and a higher specific storage modulus (920 MPa·cm3/g, a more than 40% increase). Cone calorimetry revealed a very significant reduction in the peak of the heat release rate (PHRR) and increased residue formation for ABS–PFR compared to ABS (from 1672 kW·m-2 to as low as 483 kW·m-2). LDH nanoparticles further decreased HRR during the early quasi-static combustion stage of foams, indicating a more effective condensed-phase flame-retardant action than MMT This study was supported by the project PID2021-128048NB-I00 of the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (AEI—Agencia Estatal de Investigación). The author Vera Realinho also acknowledges the Serra Húnter fellowship from the Generalitat de Catalunya. Some experiments were performed in the facilities of the Centre Català del Plàstic in Terrassa, Spain Postprint (published version) 2025-12-11 Article Antunes, M.; Ghonjizadehsamani, F.; Realinho, V. Effects of layered nanoclays on the cellular structure, dynamic–mechanical–thermal properties and fire behavior of flame-retardant ABS foams. «Polymers», 11 Desembre 2025, vol. 17, núm. 24, article 3285. 2073-4360 https://hdl.handle.net/2117/449404 10.3390/polym17243285 eng https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4360/17/24/3285 info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023/PID2021-128048NB-I00/ES/ESPUMAS POLIMERICAS MULTIFUNCIONALES PARA APANTALLAMIENTO ELECTROMAGNETICO/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access Attribution 4.0 International application/pdf Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)