Fire-Resistant Sheet with Expandable Graphite for Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fire-resistant materials for aircraft seats struggle with weight reduction, durability, and maintaining high flame retardance, especially when covering curved surfaces or used in combination with cushion foams.
Innovation Solution
A fire-resistant sheet comprising a fiber base material layer with non-melting fibers and thermoplastic fibers, combined with a resin layer containing expandable graphite, which provides excellent flame retardance, durability, and flexibility to cover complex surfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a thick felt formed of heat resistant fiber is inserted between skin material and seat cushion to suppress combustion, then flame retardance is improved, but weight and thickness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention uses a composite structure combining a fiber base material layer (containing heat resistant fibers) with a resin layer containing expandable graphite. This composite approach provides flame retardance through multiple mechanisms: the fiber layer provides structural integrity and initial heat resistance, while the expandable graphite layer creates an insulating barrier when exposed to heat, reducing the overall material thickness and weight needed compared to traditional thick felt alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The resin layer containing expandable graphite utilizes phase transition as a fire retardant mechanism. When exposed to heat, the expandable graphite undergoes expansion (phase transition) to form a thick, insulating char layer that protects the underlying materials from flame and heat, providing effective flame retardance with thinner material sections.
2Weight of moving object
If thermoplastic fiber with high LOI value is combined with non-melting fiber to reduce felt unit weight, then weight is reduced, but wear durability against repeated attachment and detachment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The invention creates a composite structure where the fiber base material layer provides mechanical strength and wear resistance through the use of heat resistant fibers, while the separate resin layer containing expandable graphite provides flame retardance. This functional separation allows each layer to be optimized for its specific purpose without compromising the other property.
Solution Approach 2:
The fire resistant material is segmented into two distinct functional layers: a fiber base material layer for structural integrity and wear durability, and a resin layer containing expandable graphite for flame retardance. This segmentation allows the fiber layer to maintain its mechanical properties for durability while the resin layer provides the necessary fire protection.
3Ease of operation
If resin molded body or fire resistant sheet is used to cover curved surface, then ease of application is improved, but manufacturing precision and surface quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The fire resistant sheet is designed as a flexible, thin-layered structure that can conform to curved surfaces. The combination of the fiber base material layer and the resin layer creates a material that is sufficiently flexible for easy application to complex geometries while maintaining its fire resistant properties and providing acceptable surface quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The fire-resistant sheet achieves significant weight reduction while maintaining high flame retardance and durability, effectively blocking flames and heat, and can be easily applied to curved surfaces without compromising performance.
Implementation Method 1
a resin layer containing expandable graphite, wherein a phase transition temperature of the resin is lower by 20° C. or more than an expansion starting temperature of the expandable graphite
Implementation Method 2
expandable graphite...expansion starting temperature of the expandable graphite
Implementation Method 3
a non-melting fiber A having a high-temperature shrinkage rate of 3% or less and a thermal conductivity of 0.060 W/m·K or less
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a fire resistant sheet having excellent flame retardance and an article covered with a fire resistant sheet. The present invention provides a fire resistant sheet including: a fiber base material layer containing a non-melting fiber A having a high-temperature shrinkage rate of 3% or less and a thermal conductivity, conforming to ISO22007-3 (2008), of 0.060 W/m·K or less, and a thermoplastic fiber B having an LOI value, conforming to JIS K7201-2 (2007), of 25 or more; and a resin layer containing expandable graphite, wherein a phase transition temperature, conforming to JIS K7121 (2012), of the resin is lower by 20° C. or more than an expansion starting temperature of the expandable graphite, and an article covered with the fire resistant sheet.