Co-Agent Assisted Peroxide Vulcanization of Halogen-Free Flame Retardant EPDM Compounds for Cable Sheathing
Macromolecular Symposia, cilt.414, sa.4, 2025 (Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 414 Sayı: 4
- Basım Tarihi: 2025
- Doi Numarası: 10.1002/masy.70074
- Dergi Adı: Macromolecular Symposia
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, Chimica, Compendex, INSPEC
- Anahtar Kelimeler: cable Sheathing, co-agent, EPDM, halogen-free flame retardant
- Kocaeli Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Thanks to advancements in technology and industry, expectations from polymer compounds are rising day by day. During a fire, flame retardancy and self-extinguishing properties are expected from polymer compounds in various industrial applications. Even though halogen-containing polymers are flame resistant, they release toxic and corrosive gases when burned, which limits their use. For this reason, a number of studies on halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) compounds have been performed to improve material performance. Ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) is widely used as a cable insulation material due to its superior dielectric properties and weathering resistance. However, EPDM is highly flammable when used alone. This issue can be overcome by incorporating various flame-retardant additives. In this study, the effects of two types of peroxides, four types of co-agents, and intumescent flame retardants (IFRs) on the rheological, physical, mechanical, thermal aging, and flammability properties of EPDM-based rubber formulations were investigated. Dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and di(tert-butyl peroxyisopropyl) benzene (BIBP) were selected as the peroxides. Triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC), high vinyl 1,2-polybutadiene (HVPBD), trimethylol propion trimethacrylate (TMPTMA), and zinc dimethacrylate (ZDMA) were used as co-agents. Additionally, an IFR system consisting of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), pentaerythritol (PER), and expanded graphite (EG) was used in the 2 phr co-agent-containing compounds. The IFRs provided a good level of flame retardancy, along with mechanical properties comparable to those of the peroxide-cured EPDM compounds. In conclusion, BIBP and ZDMA were found to be the most effective curing system for the EPDM-based HFFR compounds prepared in this study.