Rigid polyurethane foams (RPUFs) are widely used in many fields, but they are easy to burn and produce a lot of smoke, which seriously endangers the safety of people's lives and property. In this study, tetraethyl(1,5-bis(bis(2-hydroxypropyl)amino)pentane-1,5-diyl)bis(phosphonate) (TBPBP), as a phosphorus-nitrogen-containing reactive-type flame retardant, was successfully synthesized and employed to enhance the flame retardancy of RPUFs, and silica aerogel (SA) powder was utilized to reduce harmful fumes. Castor oil-based rigid polyurethane foam containing SA powder and TBPBP was named RPUF-T45@SA20. Compared with neat RPUF, the obtained RPUF-T45@SA20 greatly improved with the compressive strength properties and the LOI value increased by 93.64% and 44.27%, respectively, and reached the V-0 rank of UL-94 testing. The total heat release (THR) and total smoke production (TSP) of RPUF-T45@SA20 were, respectively, reduced by 44.66% and 51.89% compared to those of the neat RPUF. A possible flame-retardant mechanism of RPUF-T45@SA20 was also proposed. This study suggested that RPUF incorporated with TBPBP and SA powder is a prosperous potential composite for fire and smoke safety as a building insulation material.
Keywords: SA powder; building insulation materials; castor oil–based rigid polyurethane foam; fire and smoke safety; tetraethyl(1,5–bis(bis(2–hydroxypropyl)amino)pentane–1,5–diyl)bis(phosphonate).