CARBONIZATION MECHANISMS RESULTING FROM INTUMESCENCE ASSOCIATION WITHTHE AMMONIUM POLYPHOSPHATE-PENTAERYTHRITOL FIRE-RETARDANT SYSTEM

In this work we study the thermal behavior of an ammonium polyphosphat e-pentaerythritol mixture, fire-retardant additive for polyolefins, an d most particularly the carbonization process resulting from an intume scent phenomenon. The study has been carried out using Micro-Raman and C-13, H-1, P-31 NMR of the solid state spectroscopies. It is shown th at the structure consists in phoscarbonaceous and polyaromatic species . These latter form an anisotropic structure above 280-degrees-C. This structure grows when the temperature increases. Finally, a reactional scheme of the carbonization of the intumescent system is proposed.