Fire retardant

Abstract

A method of improving fire retardant properties of a substrate includes providing the substrate with a graphene-based composite, wherein the graphene-based composite includes graphene-based material intercalated with inorganic metal hydrate.

1 . A method of improving fire retardant properties of a substrate, the method comprising providing the substrate with a graphene-based composite, wherein the graphene-based composite comprises graphene-based material intercalated with inorganic metal hydrate. 
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is provided with the graphene-based composite by coating or impregnating the substrate with a liquid composition comprising the graphene-based composite. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is provided with the graphene-based composite by (i) coating or impregnating the substrate with a liquid composition comprising the graphene-based material and the inorganic metal hydrate, and (ii) removing liquid from the coated composition so as to retain the graphene-based material and the inorganic metal hydrate in the coated or impregnated composition and form the graphene-based composite. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a thermoplastic polymer and it is provided with the graphene-based composite by melt processing the polymer with the graphene-based composite. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a thermoset polymer and it is provided with the graphene-based composite by blending the graphene-based composite with precursor materials used to make the thermoset polymer. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the graphene-based composite comprises one or both of reduced graphene oxide and graphene. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic metal hydrate is selected from hydrated: metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal oxide hydroxides, metal borates and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the inorganic metal hydrate is hydrated sodium metaborate. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is impregnated with inorganic metal hydrate that does not form part of the graphene-based composite. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises cellulosic material, polymeric material or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A substrate with improved fire retardant properties, the substrate comprising a graphene-based composite, wherein the graphene-based composite comprises graphene-based material intercalated with inorganic metal hydrate. 
     
     
         12 . The substrate according to  claim 11 , wherein the graphene-based composite is coated on a surface of the substrate, distributed throughout the substrate matrix material, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         13 . The substrate according to  claim 11 , wherein the graphene-based composite comprises one or both of reduced graphene oxide and graphene. 
     
     
         14 . The substrate according to  claim 11 , wherein the inorganic metal hydrate is selected from hydrated: metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal oxide hydroxides, metal borates and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate according to  claim 11 , wherein the inorganic metal hydrate is hydrated sodium metaborate. 
     
     
         16 . The substrate according to  claim 11 , wherein the substrate is impregnated with inorganic metal hydrate that does not form part of the graphene-based composite. 
     
     
         17 . The substrate according to  claim 11 , wherein the substrate comprises cellulosic material, polymeric material or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . A graphene-based composite to improve fire retardant properties of a substrate, wherein the graphene-based composite comprises graphene-based materials intercalated with inorganic metal hydrate. 
     
     
         19 . The graphene-based composite of  claim 18 , provided as a liquid coating or impregnate. 
     
     
         20 . The graphene-based composite of  claim 18 , the graphene-based composite comprising reduced graphene oxide and hydrated sodium metaborate. 
     
     
         21 . The graphene-based composite of  claim 18 , including a further amount of said metal hydrate not intercalated with the graphene-based material. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is coated by soaking the substrate in the graphene-based composite 
     
     
         23 . The substrate of  claim 11 , wherein the coating is a soak or dip coating.