Abstract

The concept of lightening has been essential for the use of composites in different industrial sectors, especially in transport applications. Composites are strategic for the objectives of sustainable mobility, being the behaviour against fire, one of the aspects to improve in these materials.

For this reason, the flame retardancy of thermoplastic prepregs and thermosetting prepregs, applicable to the transport sector, has been studied by incorporating superficial flame-retardant layers based on expandable graphite. In the case of thermoplastic composites, work has been done with polypropylene laminates reinforced with fiberglass fabrics, addressing flame retardancy by incorporating a functional layer of expandable graphite.

In the case of thermosetting composites, furanic basalt fibre and recycled carbon fibre prepregs have been studied. The flame retardancy of basalt prepregs has been addressed incorporating halogen-free flame retardants in thermosetting matrix, and the flame retardancy of recycled carbon fibre prepregs has been addressed by a combined strategy incorporating halogen-free flame retardants in thermosetting matrix and superficial fire-retardant layers on the composite, based on expandable graphite.

Abstract

Carbon fibre polymer composites (CFRP) are widely used in the aeronautical industry thanks of their excellent properties. However, they also have some limitations mainly due to the polymeric nature of their matrix. One of the most significant is their poor resistance to high temperatures