How does the addition of flame retardants to fire-retardant PET foam affect the foaming process and mechanical properties?

The most common flame retardants are aluminum hypophosphite (AHP) or melamine cyanurate (MCA), added at 5–15%. Main effects: 1) Melt viscosity increases, narrowing the foaming window, requiring a 5–10°C increase in extrusion temperature; 2) Acts as a cell nucleating agent, reducing cell diameter but increasing cell density, potentially improving shear modulus by 10–20%; 3) Mechanical properties – flexural strength may decrease by 10–25% (due to poor interface compatibility between FR and PET); 4) Flame retardancy efficiency must be balanced – adding 10% AHP increases LOI from 22% to 28%, with diminishing returns beyond that. The optimal process includes adding 0.5–1% coupling agent (e.g., epoxy-functionalized polyolefin) to improve the interface.

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How does the addition of flame retardants to fire-retardant PET foam affect the foaming process and mechanical properties?

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