Coral reefs-inspired strategy for hierarchical prussian blue derived nickel phyllosilicate architecture:Efficient flame retardancy and mechanical reinforcement of epoxy nanocompositesOA

The development of epoxy(EP)nanocomposites has emerged as a prominent research area across diverse sectors,including automotive,construction,and aerospace industries.Recently,adopting biomimetic strategies for the preparation of nanomaterials to design multifunctional epoxy resins has emerged as a prominent research hotspot.Inspired by the growth pattern of coral reefs,this study successfully engineered a novel hierarchical nanostructured material(Fe-NiPS-PBA)with the aim of creating EP nanocomposites that exhibit highly flame-retardant efficiency,exceptional mechanical strength,and distinguished wear-resisting property even at low additive concentrations.With a 3 wt%addition of Fe-NiPS-PBA,the limiting oxygen index of the EP/3Fe-NiPS-PBA nanocomposite increased from 23.5 to 25.9,achieving a UL-94 V-0 rating.Compared to pure EP,EP/3Fe-NiPSPBA nanocomposite reduced the peak heat release rate(PHRR),total heat release(THR),peak smoke production rate(PSPR),total smoke production(TSP),and maximum CO emission(MCO)by 44.1%,66.7%,47.0%,67.8%,and 51.7%,respectively.Moreover,the incorporation of a 1 wt%additive resulted in significant enhancements of tensile strength from 76.7 MPa to 96.9 MPa,while the wear rate demonstrated a remarkable reduction of 77.8%.The Fe-NiPS-PBA significantly enhanced the fire performance and mechanical strength of EP nanocomposites,demonstrating exceptional overall performance in various applications.