Dual self-antiaggregating hybrid nanoarchitectonics for synergistic effects on the fire safety of intumescent flame retardant epoxy resins

Prior to the practical application of epoxy resins (EP), critical issues regarding the fire safety of flammable and toxic smoke releases must be addressed. Here, novel nanoarchitectonics with dual selfantiaggregating structure were fabricated in which CeO2 nanoparticles were grown in situ on molybdenum disulfide (CeO2-MoS2). CeO2 alleviated the re-agglomeration of MoS2, and then CeO2-MoS2 further mitigated the reunification effect of zeolite imidazolate framework-8 encapsulated ammonium polyphosphate (APP@ZIF-8) in the EP matrix. When CeO2-MoS2 was employed as a synergist to replace 0.5 wt% of APP@ZIF-8 flame retardant, the thermal stability of EP composites was significantly improved, as evidenced by a 41.8% reduction in the maximum mass loss rate compared with pure EP. In addition, the PHRR, PSPR, PCO, and PCO2 values of EP/0.5C-M/9.5A@Z were decreased by 65.8%, 47.9%, 67.0%, and 67.4%, respectively, while its LOI value improved to 28.2%. Benefit from the barrier and catalytic effect of CeO2-MoS2 nanoarchitectonics, in conjunction with the subsequent formation of multiple metal oxides and phosphorus-containing substances that form an expanding char layer, preventing the heatmass exchange and smoke diffusion. This research suggests a feasible solution to the problem of high fire hazards in EP. (c) 2025 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier BV and The Society of Powder Technology Japan. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.