JoSHCT (2015) 1-3 © STM Journals 2015. All Rights Reserved Page 1

Journal of Surface and Hybrid Coating Technology

Volume 2, Issue 1

www.stmjournals.com

Deposition of Antimony Trioxide on the Composite

Surface to Increase Its Flame Retardancy

Ali I. Al-Mosawi1*, Shaymaa Abbas Abdulsada

2

1Free Consultation, Babylon, Hilla, Iraq

2College of Engineering Materials, Kufa University, Iraq

Abstract In the present work, the preparation method of antimony trioxide and its thermal properties

were extracted, as well as identified the manufacturing method to form an insulation layer

from this oxide as a thickness of the covering layer (2 mm), deposited on the composite

material consisting of unsaturated polyester resin and glass fiber which acts as a paste and

take for the material to the insulation and flame retardant oxide. Thermal erosion test was

performed to assess the functioning of the antimony oxide efficiency to flame retardants. The

result obtained from erosion test done at (2000 °C) is an evidence that the antimony trioxide

has an efficiency of as a flame retardant material at elevated temperatures.

Keywords: Flame retardancy, thermal erosion test, composite

*Author for Correspondence E-mail: aliibrahim76@yahoo.com

INTRODUCTION Fire retardants are chemicals which are

appended to many materials to increase their

fire safety [1]. For instance, many plastics are

extremely flammable and therefore their fire

resistance is increased by adding fire

retardants in order to cut the danger of fire [2].

Flame retardants work over and done with a

number of different mechanisms. The

definitive goal is to decrease the potential of

ignition or to retard the spread of a flame over

the body of material the retardant is shielding

[3]. This is achieved by increasing the

combusting resistance of the materials to carry

on firing. Fire retardants are applied in a

numeral of different methods [4]. They can be

permeated into plastics during processing,

unified with insulation materials during

application, used as handlings for shingles and

decks and used on the surface of materials as

coatings or paints [5]. Some flame retardants

cause a treated cloth to char, thus inhibiting

the pyrolysis process [6]. Others remove

flammable gases by reacting with hydrogen

and hydroxide radicals in the air [7]. On that

point are four primary substances which work

to retard fire in different ways. These families

include halogenated, phosphorus, nitrogen and

inorganic flame retardants [8].

MATERIALS AND METHODS Materials Antimony Trioxide (Sb2O3) with particle size

2 µ; Polyester resin (Palatel A420); Chopped

E-type glass fibers.

i. Preparation of Test Specimens: The

samples of thermal erosion test have a disc

shape with (80 mm) diameter and (10 mm)

thickness. These samples consist of two

layers: (a) antimony trioxide (2 mm)

thickness, and (b) composite material layer

with (6 mm) thickness.

ii. Thermal Erosion Test: Flame generated

from butane-propane flame with 2000 °C

was used in this test. The system (contains

flame retardant material and composite

material) was exposed to this flame under

different exposure distances (10, 15 and

20 mm). Surface temperature method was

used here to calculate the amount of heat

transmitted through flame-retardant

material and composite material. A

transformation card (AD) which is called

thermal monitoring and recording system

(Figure 1) was used to observe and save

temperatures with time (in seconds).

Temperatures are measured by

thermocouple type-K in opposite surface.

Any change in temperatures and time will

appear in the computer.

Use of Antimony Trioxide to Increase Flame Retardancy Al-Mosawi and Abdulsada

JoSHCT (2015) 1-3 © STM Journals 2015. All Rights Reserved Page 2

Fig. 1: Thermal Monitoring and Recording System.

Fig. 2: Thermal Erosion Test with Different Exposure Distance.

Journal of Surface and Hybrid Coating Technology

Volume 2, Issue 1

JoSHCT (2015) 1-3 © STM Journals 2015. All Rights Reserved Page 3

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Figure 2 represents thermal erosion test with

different exposed distance. The curve (1) with

exposed distance (10 mm) showed that the

temperature of opposite surface to flame began

to increase with increasing time of exposure to

flame and during this time, antimony trioxide

absorbed heat and transformed to antimony

tetroxide which is also a flame retardant. This

represented endothermic process which

decreased surface temperature as well as

rise/fall of flame retardant layer and protect

the substrate [9].

This state of absorbed heat and transformed to

antimony tetroxide will improve as the

exposed distance increased to (15 mm) as

shown in Curve (2), where the flame heat

reached to antimony trioxide layer will

decrease. Curve(3) represents thermal erosion

test with exposed distance (20 mm). As

observed from this figure, the resistance to

flame will increase and the presence of

antimony trioxide will be longer due to

decreased amount of heat reaching the

retardant layer. The endothermic reaction will

continue until failure of this protect layer [10].

CONCLUSIONS From the result obtained by thermal erosion

test, it was concluded: using antimony trioxide

improved the flame retardancy of composite.

Enhancement flame resistance by transformed

of antimony trioxide to tetroxide.

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flammability for polymeric composite

material by using flame retardants coating.

Engineering & Technology Journal. 2011;

29(11).

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retardant material. M.Sc. Thesis.

Engineering College, Babylon University,

Iraq. 2003.

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Polymers: Experimental Papers. LAP

LAMBERT Academic Publishing. 2012.

ISBN: 25531-659-3-978.

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Cite this Article: Ali Ali I. Al-Mosawi, Shaymaa Abbas

Abdulsada..Deposition of antimony

trioxide on the composite surface to

increase its flame retardancy. Journal of

Surface Hybrid and Coating

Technology. 2015; 2(1): 1–3p.