Development of Multifunctional Flame-Retardant Gel Coatings for Automotive Applications

Abstract

Due to strict safety regulations, the automotive industry requires an effective reduction of flammability in polymer components. Flame retardants are usually added to the polymer matrix, affecting the viscosity of the matrix. Another possible solution is the application of coatings containing flame retardants, which can additionally ensure good surface quality and protection against external influences. In our research, the flammability of reference and flame retarded gelcoat base materials was investigated using oxygen index (LOI), UL-94, and mass loss type cone calorimetry (MLC) tests. Based on the flammability tests, the best results were obtained with the gelcoat formulation containing 15%P ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and the mixed formulation containing 5%P APP and 5%P resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP), with a 55% and 64% reduction in the total heat release compared to the reference gelcoat, respectively. The two best-performing coatings were applied to polypropylene (PP) samples. 15%P APP reduced the peak heat release rate of PP by 89% compared to the reference. The gelcoat formulation containing 15%P APP was applied to polyurethane (PUR) automotive components, where the coating reduced the maximum heat release rate by 53% and shifted the time to peak heat release rate by 447 s.