Novel core-shell graphitic carbon nitride/zinc phytate (g-C3N4/PAZn) flame retardant was simple synthetized using two-dimensional g-C3N4 and bio-based PAZn by self-assembly and incorporated into epoxy resin (EP) for improving the fire safety. The flame retardance and smoke suppression were investigated by cone calorimetry. The results indicated that g-C3N4/PAZn-EP displayed outstanding flame retardancy and smoke suppression, for example, the peak heat release rate and peak smoke production rate decreased by 71.38% and 25%, respectively. Furthermore, the flame retardancy mechanism was further explored by char residue and thermal stability analysis. It can be predicted that g-C3N4/PAZn will provide valuable reference about bio-based flame retardant.
Keywords: epoxy resin; flame retardancy; graphitic carbon nitride; zinc phytate.