The 15th National Conference on Fire Safety Materials, organized by NingboTech University, was successfully held in Ningbo, Zhejiang, attracting over 300 experts and scholars to discuss the innovative development and applications of fire safety materials. Wang Wanfu, Ph.D. candidate from Beijing University of Technology, Principal Investigator of NEXCEL 2024 PHD project ‘Surface Modification of Extruded Polystyrene Foam and the Study of Its Flame Retardancy and Adhesion Performances’, participated in the conference and gave a presentation on ‘Synthesis of Fe-MOF as a Synergistic Flame Retardant and Its Application in Flame-Retardant PS.’

Polystyrene, as a widely used general-purpose plastic, requires urgent enhancement of its fire safety performance. The project team designed and synthesized a novel Fe-MOF containing multiple hydroxyl groups and Schiff base structures, which synergized with intumescent flame retardants to enhance the flame retardancy of polystyrene.

The research results revealed that the porous Fe-MOF catalyzed rapid char formation in the flame-retardant system. This significantly enhanced polystyrene's thermal stability, enabling the material to achieve a V-0 rating in vertical burning tests. Furthermore, there were reductions of 77.6%, 35.2%, and 33.7% in peak heat release rate, total heat release, and total smoke production, respectively. These findings indicate substantial enhancements in both flame retardancy and smoke suppression performances. This achievement provides theoretical guidance for environmentally friendly and safe applications of polystyrene.