Effect of aryl phosphates on toxicity of combustion gases of flame‐retardant polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene blends according to EN 45545 railway standard

Summary In this study, the toxicity of combustion gases of polycarbonate/acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) blends that include aryl phosphates as flame‐retardants (FRs) was analyzed according to the European railway standard EN 45545‐2 (NBS chamber + FTIR). FRs have a significant influence on the evolution of the toxicity of gases generated during the combustion process. In the experiment, the asphyxiant hydrogen cyanide (HCN) was detected at the beginning of combustion (4 min of testing) as a product of ABS degradation. CO was generated throughout the test (8 min) because of the incomplete combustion of both the ABS and PC fractions. The presence of aryl phosphates promoted the inhibition of the flame. The reaction of PO·radicals in the gas phase resulted in OH·scavenging and a higher release of HCN and CO. The results suggest that aryl phosphates act in the first 4 min and do not have an effect later. FRs with lower thermal stability exhibited lower heat release and flame propagation but generated more toxic gases. This effect is attributed to the higher activity of the flame‐retardant in the gas phase. Further, additional fire performance parameters, including thermal stability (thermogravimetric analysis), flammability (UL94), and heat and smoke generation (cone calorimeter), were studied. It was found that aryl phosphates reduced the fire hazard, prevented the spread of the flame, reduced heat generation, increased the time to ignition, and, at the same time, promoted the emission of toxic gases that differ in function of the selected flame‐retardant.