Flame Retardation Modification of Paper-Based PVC Wallcoverings

¹ College of Material Engineering, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, No.15, Shang-xia Dian Road, Cangshan District, Fuzhou, 350002, P.R. China
² Northeast Forestry University, No.26, Hexing Road, Xiangfang District, Harbin, 150040, China

^* Corresponding author: nefulijian@163.com

Abstract

The flame-retarded paper-based polyvinyl chloride (PVC) wallcoverings were successfully prepared, using plant fiber paper as base material and adding inorganic flame retardants and flame-retarded plasticizer as additives. Flame retardancy, thermostability, smoke suppression and mechanical properties were tested regarding to the prepared wallcoverings. The results showed that 2ZnO·3B₂O₃·3.5H₂O could improve flame retardancy and thermostability of paper-based PVC wallcoverings; plasticizer tricresyl phosphate increased flame retardancy of the prepared materials auxiliarily. Also, flame-retarded paper-based PVC wallcoverings with higher flame retardancy, smoke suppression and mechanical property was prepared using plant fiber paper with fix quantity of 90 g/m³ as base material, using 2ZnO·3B₂O₃·3.5H₂O as inorganic flame retardant, and using tricresyl phosphate as plasticizer. For the flame-retarded paper-based PVC wallcoverings in this study, the limit oxygen index (LOI) reaches 32.3, maximal smoke density is 16.91 %, and the horizontal and longitudinal wet tensile strength reaches 1.38 kN·m⁻¹ and 1.51 kN·m⁻¹ respectively. Meanwhile, its flame retardancy meets the requirements about flame retardancy for material Class B₁ listed in Chinese National Standards GB 8624-2012, Classification for burning behavior of building materials and products. This research creates an effective path to prepare paper-based PVC wallcoverings with high flame retardancy.