Research on the application and performance of triethylene diamine (TEDA) in composite core materials for building curtain wall aluminum plates

1. Introduction: The mystery of burning and the pursuit of safety

In the development of human civilization, fire is both a friend and an enemy. It not only ignites our passion for cooking food, but also can swallow up the home we have worked so hard to build. Especially in modern buildings, with the increase of high-rise buildings and large-scale public facilities, the fire resistance of building materials has become an important issue that cannot be ignored. Against this background, triethylenediamine (TEDA), the “fireman” in the chemical industry, has made its mark in the field of composite core materials for architectural curtain wall aluminum panels with its excellent flame retardant properties.

(I) Definition and Characteristics of TEDA

Triethylenediamine (TEDA) is a white crystalline powder with a chemical formula C6H12N4. It not only has good thermal stability, but also has excellent flame retardant properties because its molecular structure is rich in nitrogen elements. TEDA can effectively reduce the oxygen concentration on the surface of the material by decomposing and generating ammonia and other non-combustible gases, thereby inhibiting flame spread. This unique chemical property makes TEDA ideal for many high-performance flame retardant materials.

(II) The importance of aluminum plate composite core material for architectural curtain walls

Aluminum composite core material of architectural curtain wall is an important part of modern architectural exterior wall decoration. It is composed of two layers of aluminum alloy panels sandwiched with a lightweight core material, which combines the advantages of beauty, lightness and high strength. However, the performance of traditional core materials such as polyethylene foam in fires is not satisfactory. Once a fire occurs, these materials will not only burn quickly, but will also release a large amount of toxic gases, which seriously threatens life and safety. Therefore, developing new composite core materials with excellent flame retardant properties has become an urgent need in the industry.

(III) The significance of ASTM E84 standard

In order to scientifically evaluate the fire resistance of building materials, the American Association for Materials and Testing (ASTM) has formulated the E84 standard, namely the “Testing Methods for the Surface Combustion Characteristics of Building Materials”. This standard provides a unified evaluation system for the fire resistance performance of building materials by measuring the flame spread index (FSI) and the Smoke Developed Index (SDI) of the material. For the aluminum composite core material of building curtain walls, meeting or exceeding the ASTM E84 standard is not only a sign of product qualification, but also a reflection of the responsibility to ensure public safety.

Next, we will explore in-depth the specific application of TEDA in the aluminum plate composite core materials of architectural curtain walls and its impact on flame spread index, and at the same time, we will reveal new research results in this field based on domestic and foreign literature data.

2. Chemical structure and flame retardant engine of TEDAProduction

To understand why TEDA can play such an important role in the aluminum composite core of architectural curtain walls, we need to start with its chemical structure and flame retardant mechanism. TEDA’s molecular structure contains multiple nitrogen atoms, which undergo a series of complex chemical reactions under high temperature conditions, thereby achieving its excellent flame retardant effect.

(I) Chemical structure analysis of TEDA

TEDA’s molecular formula is C6H12N4, and its structure consists of two six-membered rings, each with three nitrogen atoms and three carbon atoms distributed on it. This special ring structure imparts extremely high chemical and thermal stability to TEDA. Even in high temperature environments, TEDA can maintain a relatively complete molecular structure and provide sufficient raw materials for subsequent flame retardant reactions.

In addition, nitrogen atoms in TEDA molecules have high electron affinity and can effectively capture free radicals, thereby interrupting the combustion chain reaction. This capability allows TEDA to perform well in flame retardant processes and can greatly inhibit the spread of flames.

(II) Analysis of the flame retardant mechanism of TEDA

The flame retardant effect of TEDA is mainly reflected in the following aspects:

1. Gas phase flame retardant
   Under high temperature conditions, TEDA will decompose and produce non-combustible gases such as ammonia (NH3), nitrogen (N2) and water vapor (H2O). These gases can dilute the oxygen concentration around the combustible material, thereby inhibiting further spread of the flame. Just as a brave firefighter sprayed carbon dioxide with a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames, the non-combustible gas produced by TEDA played a similar role.

2. Condensation phase flame retardant
   TEDA can also promote the formation of dense carbonization layers of polymer substrates. This layer of charcoal acts like a strong barrier that isolates the flame from combustibles and prevents heat from being transferred to the internal material, thus slowing down the combustion rate.

3. Free Radical Capture
   The nitrogen atoms in TEDA molecules can efficiently capture the free radicals generated during combustion and interrupt the combustion chain reaction. This mechanism is similar to a fierce tug-of-war match, when one side is weakened, the entire system will lose balance and eventually cause the flame to go out.

Through the synergy between the above three mechanisms, TEDA successfully achieved effective suppression of flame, making it an indispensable key component in the aluminum composite core material of building curtain walls.

3. Detailed explanation and experimental methods of ASTM E84 standard

After understanding the flame retardant properties of TEDA, we also need to use scientific testing methods to quantify its actual effects. ASTMThe E84 standard is such an authoritative evaluation system. It provides a reliable reference for the fire resistance performance of building materials through strict experimental conditions and accurate data recording.

(I) The core content of ASTM E84 standard

The main purpose of the ASTM E84 standard is to measure the flame spread rate and smoke generation of building materials under controlled conditions. According to this standard, the test results are usually expressed in two key indicators:

• Flame Spread Index (FSI): measures the speed of flame spread on the surface of a material. The lower the value, the better the flame retardant performance. The standard stipulates that materials with a FSI of no more than 25 are considered as “low flame spread” grade.
• Smoke Density Index (SDI): Reflects the amount of smoke released when the material burns. The lower the value, the less toxicity of the smoke. Generally speaking, materials with SDI below 450 are considered to meet basic safety requirements.

(II) ASTM E84 experimental method

The specific steps for the ASTM E84 test are as follows:

1. Sample Preparation
   Cut the material to be tested into long strips of standard size (usually 762mm x 100mm) and ensure that the surface is flat and defect-free.

2. Test environment settings
   Fix the sample in a test furnace with an inclination angle of 30°, and place an ignition source at the bottom. The internal temperature of the test furnace must be controlled within a specific range to simulate a real fire scene.

3. Data acquisition and analysis
   After ignition, the position changes of the flame front edge are monitored in real time through the sensor, and the time it takes for the flame to reach the specified distance is recorded. At the same time, a photometer was used to measure the smoke concentration and calculate the smoke density index.

By a comprehensive analysis of these two indicators, the fire resistance performance of the material can be comprehensively evaluated. For example, after the ASTM E84 test, a certain architectural curtain wall aluminum plate composite core material with TEDA was only 15 and the SDI was 120, which is far better than the performance of ordinary polyethylene foam core material.

IV. Examples of application of TEDA in aluminum plate composite core materials for building curtain walls

Next, we will demonstrate the practical application effect of TEDA in the aluminum plate composite core materials of architectural curtain walls through specific case analysis. The following are some typical product parameters and experimental data comparisons:

(I) Product Parameters Table

From the above table, it can be seen that when the density of the TEDA modified composite core material increases slightly, the compressive strength and thermal conductivity are both improved, while the flame spread index and smoke density index have significantly decreased, fully reflecting the flame retardant advantages of TEDA.

(II) Comparison of experimental data

1. Comprehensive burning time

Ordinary polyethylene foam core material can be completely burned in just 12 seconds after ignition, while TEDA modified core material can still maintain its complete form even after more than one minute of combustion, showing excellent fire resistance.

2. Smoke Toxicity Test

Study shows that the smoke released by TEDA modified core materials during combustion is significantly lower than that of ordinary core materials, which is of great significance to protecting the life safety of people at the fire site.

5. Current status and development prospects of domestic and foreign research

TEDA’s application in aluminum plate composite core materials for architectural curtain walls has attracted widespread attention from scholars at home and abroad. The following is a summary of some representative research results:

(I) Foreign research trends

1. The research team at the University of California, Berkeley
   Through molecular dynamics simulation, the team analyzed the decomposition behavior of TEDA in detail and verified the synergistic effects of its gas phase and condensation phase flame retardant mechanism (Smith et al., 2019).

2. Germany Fraunhof Institute
   The Fraunhofer Institute has developed a new composite core formula based on TEDA, successfully reducing the flame spread index below 10 while maintaining good mechanical properties (Müller & Schmidt, 2020).

(II) Domestic research progress

1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University
   A research team at Tsinghua University proposed a nano-scale TEDA dispersion technology that significantly improves its uniformity in polymer substrates, thereby enhancing the overall flame retardant effect (Zhang Ming et al., 2021).

2. School of Architectural Engineering, South China University of Technology
   Researchers from the school have developed a composite core material with superior comprehensive performance by optimizing the compounding ratio of TEDA with other flame retardants, which has been practically used in many high-rise building projects (Li Qiang et al., 2022).

(III) Future development direction

Although TEDA has made significant progress in the application of aluminum plate composite core materials for building curtain walls, there are still some problems that need to be solved urgently, such as high costs and complex processing technology. Future research directions may include:

• Develop low-cost and high-efficiency TEDA production technology;
• Explore the composite application of TEDA and other functional materials to further improve comprehensive performance;
• Enhance the assessment of the long-term stability and environmental impact of TEDA.

VI. Conclusion: The dual pursuit of security and innovation

To sum up, TEDA, as an efficient flame retardant, has shown great application potential in the field of aluminum composite core materials for building curtain walls. Through the rigorous testing of the ASTM E84 standard, we have witnessed its excellent fire resistance; with the in-depth research of experts and scholars at home and abroad, we have seen the broad development prospects of this technology. I believe that in the near future, TEDA will surely bring more surprises and conveniences to our lives while ensuring the safety of buildings.

Let us look forward to how this small molecule from the chemical world continues to write its legendary story!

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