Four kinds of prepared plant-based porous carbon materials

including sugarcane bagasse carbon (SBC)

bamboo leaf carbon (BLC)

rice husk carbon (RHC)

bamboo stalk carbon (BSC)

as well as purchased carbon materials including

coconut shell charcoal (CSC)

nut shell carbon (NSC)

carbon nanotubes (CNTs)

expansible graphite (EG)

were respectively used in flame retardant epoxy resin (EP) with ammonium polyphosphate (APP).The influences of specific surface area

surface activity and morphology of carbon materials on combustion performances and thermal decomposition of flame retardant EP were investigated.The studies by physical adsorption (BET method)

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy indicated that all the carbon materials were micron-size dispersed in EP

and BSC had higher specific surface area (2063 m2/g) and larger contents of surface active groups such as C-C

C-O-

C O and COO- than others carbon materials.Meanwhile

the respective addition of BSC (0.8 wt%) and CNTs (0.8 wt%) in EP/APP (3.1 wt%) increased the LOI from 24.6% to 27.3% and 27.6%

resulted in V-1 rate in UL 94 test

and decreased the peak heat release rate by 27% and 28% from the cone calorimeter test (Cone)

compared to EP/APP.The results show that the synergic effects mainly depend on the morphology; particle shaped carbon materials with the larger specific surface area

O/C ratio and higher active group contents have excellent flame retardancy.Moreover

thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA)

confocal Raman spectroscopy (CRS) and XPS study confirmed that carbon materials can improve the initial pyrolysis temperature and increase the residual char value of EP/APP.The large specific surface area and high surface activity as well as tubulose morphology not only increased the residual char value

promoted the formation of graphite-like char but also improved the pyro-oxidation of char.