Fire-safe and mechanically robust polycarbonate composite enabled by novel copolymerization/macromolecular blending strategy

Abstract

Polycarbonate is a widely used engineering plastic material, but its limited flame retardancy has restricted its application in high-end fields such as aviation and railways. In this study, we propose a novel copolymerization/macromolecular blending strategy to produce a high-performance, fire-safe polycarbonate composite. By copolymerizing with polydimethylsiloxane oligomer and blending with macromolecular polyarylate, the resulting PC-BPDMS₅/PITR successfully achieved a UL-94 V-0 rating and a high limiting oxygen index value of 34.2 %. The peak heat release and total smoke release were significantly reduced by 45.2 % and 27.4 %, respectively, compared to pure PC. SEM, Raman, and XPS analyses confirmed the condensed-phase dominated flame-retardant mechanism, attributed to the char-forming ability of the polyarylate and polydimethylsiloxane segments. Polydimethylsiloxane segments can decompose to produce small molecules such as methane, and the left structure with silicon, which undergo cross-linking reactions with the substrate during combustion to promote char formation. The polyaromatic ring structure of PITR can also participate in the formation of a dense and stable char layer. The excellent compatibility between the polyarylate and the PC matrix, combined with the superior flexibility of polydimethylsiloxane, allowed the composite to maintain mechanical properties comparable to pure PC. Additionally, the increased molar volume resulted in a low dielectric constant for PC-BPDMS₅/PITR. This work presents a promising approach for the development of high-performance polycarbonate composites.