Modifying Epoxy Resins to Resist Both Fire and Water

Abstract

In this work, we converted inherently hydrophilic and flammable epoxy resins to resist both fire and water. This was achieved by integrating surface modified flame-retardant CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles into the epoxy resin. The modified CoFe₂O₄ nanoparticles reduce the peak heat release rate, peak smoke production release and CO production in the CoFe₂O₄/epoxy resin nanocomposite by 39.6, 41.6, and 61.3%, respectively. The obtained flame retardant CoFe₂O₄/EP items demonstrate excellent durability with constant superhydrophobicity even after high external pressure, knife-scratch, and mechanical abrasion. In addition, the obtained items demonstrate outstanding robust water-repellent properties after facing long-term exposure to extremely corrosive liquids and also show self-cleaning properties in air and under oil.