Innotech III

Development of recipes and technologies for producing new varieties of flame-retardant polyolefin porous materials and the impact of the use of flame retardants on their reaction to fire

Domestic project:

Acronym: Innotech III

Programme:  3rd edition of the competition within INNOTECH programme (In-Tech path);project financed from funds of National Centre for Research and Development and  co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the Innovative Economy Operational Program

Contract No.: K3/IN3/24/27425/NCBR/14

Project implementation period of time: the whole project’s duration: 01.01.2014 – 31.12.2016 ; ITB’s participation:  01.04.2015 – 31.12.2015  (WP 6)

Total value of the project: PLN 3 161 600

ITB’s budget: PLN 317 308

Coordinator on behalf of ITB: Katarzyna Kaczorek-Chrobak, MSc Eng.

Leader/Coordinating organisation: The Institute of Heavy Organic Synthesis "Blachownia" (INSTYTUT CIĘŻKIEJ SYNTEZY ORGANICZNEJ „BLACHOWNIA”)

Participants:

TERMAFLEX IZOLACJA Sp. z .o. o

Building Research Institute (INSTYTUT TECHNIKI BUDOWLANEJ)

Centre of Molecular and Macromolecular Studies Polish Academy of Sciences (CENTRUM BADAŃ MOLEKULARNYCH I MAKROMOLEKULARNYCH PAN)

Short description: the aim of the project was to develop recipes for new varieties of polyethylene plastics and technologies for producing porous thermal insulation materials from them with improved functional properties, especially in terms of improving their fire properties like reaction to fire.

The development of recipes and technologies was assumed:

  • materials with a reaction to fire allowing them to be included in the reaction to fire class for linear products for thermal insulation of BL-s(X),d0 cables,
  • halogen-free flame retardant material, with the best possible reaction to fire class and with parameters related to heat release in fire conditions: FIGRA0.2MJ≤270 W/s and THR600s≤7.5 MJ.

The aim of the project was also to determine the influence of the type and content of flame retardants on the toxicological properties of combustion products of flame retardant polyolefin porous materials.

As part of the preparation for implementation phase, the stages preparing the product for certification were successfully carried out, which resulted in obtaining CE, UL and PRS certificates. The project results have not been implemented. There was a fire at the Thermaflex Insulation factory, which prevented the implementation of the achieved results. The ex-post report was adopted by NCBR.

The research results were presented in international articles and at domestic and foreign conferences, i.e.:

  1. Silesian Meetings on Polymer Materials; Gliwice, 30/06-01/07. 2014, poster: S. Kudła, “Susceptibility of LLDPE Copolymers on Peroxide Modification Assessed by Temperature-Scanning Relative Rheometry”.
  2. 6th International Conference on Polymer Behavior, 22-26/09/2014, Vienna, Austria: K. Jurczuk, A. Galeski "Thermoplastic elastomers reinforced with poly (tetrafluoroethylene) nanofibers."
  3. S. Kudła, “A simple rheological method for the assessment of susceptibility of thermoplastic polymers to radical reactions under dynamic conditions” – Polymer Testing 44, 2015, 93-100
  4. “Chemical modification of ethylene copolymers monitored rheometrically and fractionation thermal", S. Kudła, E. Sabura "Modification of polymers. Stan i Perspektywy w 2015", collective work edited by R. Steller and D. Żuchowska, Wrocław 2015, TEMPO s.c. publishing house, pp. 121-124, ISBN: 978-83-86520-22-0. K. Jurczuk, A. Galeski "Thermoplastic elastomers reinforced with poly(tetrafluoroethylene) nanofibers" - European Polymer Journal 80, 2016, 58-69.

Two patents have been filed:

  1. Patent application P.419.828 "Method for modifying the molecular structure" of December 15, 2016, creators: Stanisław Kudła, Kinga Jurczuk, Andrzej Gałęski, Jolanta Grittner, Marcin Romanowski, Katarzyna Szpilska; national protection area.
  2. Patent application P.419.829 "Method for modifying the molecular structure" of December 15, 2016, creators: Stanisław Kudła, Kinga Jurczuk, Andrzej Gałęski, Jolanta Grittner, Marcin Romanowski, Katarzyna Szpilska; national protection area.