Trends in Automotive Materials Flame Retardancy And Application of Flame Retardant Fibers in Vehicles

Trends in Automotive Materials Flame Retardancy and Application of Flame Retardant Fibers in Vehicles

The fast-paced development of the automotive industry has made cars indispensable for transportation and cargo. However, car accidents like crashes and spontaneous combustion threaten passenger safety. Given the compact vehicle space and flammable interior materials, fires are hard to control, endangering lives and property. Fire prevention in vehicles is thus of utmost importance.

Causes of car fires are varied. They can stem from the vehicle itself, such as electrical faults from unauthorized modifications, oil leaks, or mechanical friction. External factors like collisions, arson, or stray ignition sources also play a role. For new energy vehicles, fires are often sparked by collisions, punctures of the power battery or its components causing short - circuits, high temperatures leading to thermal runaway of the battery, or large currents from fast charging.

I. Research on Flame - Retardant Automotive Materials

Flame - retardant material research originated in the US in the late 19th century. With China's technological progress, new demands have emerged for automotive interior material flame - retardancy, mainly in four aspects:

1. Theoretical Research on Material Flame - Retardancy: Chinese researchers now focus on the combustion mechanisms of fibers and plastics, as well as flame - retardant agents' role in enhancing flame - retardant properties.

2. Development of Flame - Retardant Materials: Many types of flame - retardant materials have been developed. Notably, new foreign materials like PPS, carbon fiber, and glass fiber are widely used across industries.

3. Research on Flame - Retardant Fabrics: Flame - retardant fabrics are easy to make and efficient. Cotton flame - retardant fabric technology is mature, but China's research on flame - retardant fabrics of other materials is limited.

4. Laws and Testing Methods for Flame - Retardant Materials: There are regulations and testing standards for flame - retardant materials.

Automotive interior materials mainly fall into three categories: fibers, plastics, and rubber. Fiber materials are the most widely used and have the most human contact, such as in seats, carpets, and seat belts. In car design, if these flammable materials catch fire, they can directly injure passengers. Moreover, some car parts like batteries and engines are close to textile materials. A fault in these parts can easily trigger a fire, with interior decoration materials acting as accelerants. Therefore, researching the flame - spread and flame - retardant properties of automotive materials is crucial. It can buy escape and survival time for passengers.

II. Classification of Flame - Retardant Fibers

In industrial textiles, vehicle - used textiles take up a large proportion. A regular sedan has about 20 - 40 kg of interior materials, mostly textiles like seat covers, cushions, seat belts, etc. These materials are closely related to driver and passenger safety. So, automotive interior textiles need flame - retardant properties to slow fire spread and allow more escape time. Flame - retardant fibers, which either don't burn or burn minimally upon contact with a flame source and self - extinguish quickly when the source is removed, are becoming increasingly important for automotive interiors.

Flame - retardant fibers are judged by their Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI). If the LOI exceeds 21%, the fiber is hard to burn. These fibers are divided into two categories: inherent flame - retardant fibers and modified flame - retardant fibers.

1. Inherent Flame - Retardant Fibers: These fibers are naturally flame - retardant and self - extinguish quickly when removed from the flame source, releasing little toxic smoke. They include polyester, polyamide, basalt, and polybenzimidazole fibers. Polyamide and polyester fibers, thermoplastic synthetic fibers, have a physical flame - retardant mechanism. When heated, they shrink, melt, and drip, reducing contact with air. The dripping can also remove the fiber from the flame source, achieving flame retardancy. Basalt fiber, a continuous fiber drawn from natural basalt, boasts high strength, heat resistance, and permanent flame retardancy. Polybenzimidazole fiber, with excellent heat resistance, doesn't burn, melt, or drip in air. It has a high LOI and is an excellent flame - retardant fiber for fire protection.

2. Modified Flame - Retardant Fibers: These fibers aren't inherently flame - retardant. Flame - retardant agents are added via polymerization, blending, composite spinning, grafting, or post - treatment methods, or coated on the fiber surface or interior. Examples are flame - retardant polyester, nylon, viscose, and polypropylene fibers.

III. Application of High - Performance Flame - Retardant Fibers in Automotive Protection

Due to space constraints for automotive flame - retardant materials, they have unique requirements compared to other flame - retardant products. During testing, they should not burn, or if they do, their horizontal or vertical burning speed must meet vehicle - specific standards. For instance, the burning speed of motor vehicle interior materials should be ≤70 mm/min. Also, considering in - vehicle safety, interior flame - retardant materials must manage smoke density and toxic/harmful gases. Flame - retardant agents used should be non - volatile to reduce fogging. Moreover, interior flame - retardant materials should have anti - static properties for a cleaner vehicle interior and to prevent fires caused by gasoline vapor or smoke.

Data shows that each car consumes 20 - 42 square meters of textile materials, indicating a vast potential for textile materials in the automotive industry. Automotive textiles are mainly divided into functional and decorative categories. In recent years, with the improvement of people's economic levels, attention to functionality, especially flame - retardant performance of automotive materials, has been increasing, as it concerns the safety of lives and property. High - performance flame - retardant fiber textiles are primarily used in automotive seat fabrics, door interior panels, tire cord, airbags, roof, and thermal/acoustic insulation materials. Non - woven fabrics made from polyester, carbon, polypropylene, and glass fibers are also used in automotive interiors. The promotion of automotive interior flame - retardant fabrics can not only protect the lives of drivers and passengers but is also a philanthropic cause that benefits society.

IV. Conclusion

Against the backdrop of sustainable and environmentally friendly development, the future of automotive interior flame - retardant fiber materials relies on the collective support of multiple disciplines such as chemistry, polymer materials, and textiles. There is a growing need to develop high-performance flame-retardant fibers that are halogen-free, non-toxic, low-smoke, stable, and synergistic. Examples include flame-retardant moisture-absorbing fibers and flame-retardant antibacterial fibers, aiming for fiber function integration, greener production processes and operating environments, and the development of high-tech fibers with unique chemical structures and high-temperature flame-retardant properties.

Guangzhou Yinsu Flame Retardant offers various flame retardants suitable for automotive applications. Examples include Brominated Antimony Masterbatch, Composite Antimony T series, Red Phosphorus Masterbatch 950-1 and 750A, and specialized flame retardants for PP recycled materials PPV2-6 and PPV2-8H. These products cater to the diverse needs of the automotive industry, providing efficient flame-retardant solutions. The company is committed to continuous research and innovation to meet the evolving requirements of automotive flame-retardant materials.

In summary, as the automotive industry develops, the demand for flame-retardant materials will continue to rise. All parties in the industry must strengthen collaboration on research and application, promote the development of flame-retardant fiber materials towards environmental friendliness and high performance, enhance automotive safety and environmental performance, and meet consumer expectations for safe and eco-friendly vehicles.