The necessity and important ways of rubber flame retardancy

1. With the continuous progress of technology, rubber products have been widely used in various industries. Wire and cable, rubber rope, conveyor belt, rubber hose, air duct, rubber belt, and rubber products used in the electronic and electrical industry must meet the corresponding national standard requirements in terms of flame retardancy and mechanical properties. The demand for flame retardant performance of rubber products is also increasing, and the development and application of flame retardant rubber have become particularly important.
There are many types of rubber, and the combustion performance of each type of rubber is different. Most rubber has a low oxygen index and a low decomposition temperature, making it easy to burn. Therefore, studying the combustion characteristics of rubber, adding flame retardants or improving the combustion performance of rubber itself has become the main way to prepare flame retardant rubber.
2. Several important ways of rubber flame retardancy
The main way of flame retardancy is to slow down thermal decomposition and block the combustion process. The specific flame retardancy pathways are as follows:
1)Add one or more substances to change the thermal decomposition behavior of rubber, increase the thermal decomposition temperature of the prepared rubber, and reduce the combustible gas generated during decomposition.
2)The added substances can generate non combustible gases or viscous substances that isolate O2 when heated, or can absorb heat when heated, making it impossible to meet the three combustion factors (combustible, oxygen, and reaching the ignition point).
3)Add substances that can capture HO ·, interrupt the chain reaction, and terminate the flame propagation.
4)Change the structure or properties of rubber molecular chains, improve their thermal decomposition ability, or make them flame retardant.
Due to the good compatibility between rubber and various additives, the addition of various flame retardants is still an important means of flame retardant modification of rubber at present.