In the present work, the preparation method of antimony trioxide and its thermal properties were extracted, as well as identified the manufacturing method to form an insulation layer from this oxide as a thickness of the covering layer (2 mm), deposited on the composite material consisting of unsaturated polyester resin and glass fiber which acts as a paste and take for the material to the insulation and flame retardant oxide. Thermal erosion test was performed to assess the functioning of the antimony oxide efficiency to flame retardants. The result obtained from erosion test done at (2000 °C) is an evidence that the antimony trioxide has an efficiency of as a flame retardant material at elevated temperatures.

1. JoSHCT (2015) 1-3 © STM Journals 2015. All Rights Reserved Page 1
Journal of Surface and Hybrid Coating Technology
Volume 2, Issue 1
www.stmjournals.com
Deposition of Antimony Trioxide on the Composite
Surface to Increase Its Flame Retardancy
Ali I. Al-Mosawi1
*, Shaymaa Abbas Abdulsada2
1
Free Consultation, Babylon, Hilla, Iraq
2
College of Engineering Materials, Kufa University, Iraq
Abstract
In the present work, the preparation method of antimony trioxide and its thermal properties
were extracted, as well as identified the manufacturing method to form an insulation layer
from this oxide as a thickness of the covering layer (2 mm), deposited on the composite
material consisting of unsaturated polyester resin and glass fiber which acts as a paste and
take for the material to the insulation and flame retardant oxide. Thermal erosion test was
performed to assess the functioning of the antimony oxide efficiency to flame retardants. The
result obtained from erosion test done at (2000 °C) is an evidence that the antimony trioxide
has an efficiency of as a flame retardant material at elevated temperatures.
Keywords: Flame retardancy, thermal erosion test, composite
*Author for Correspondence E-mail: aliibrahim76@yahoo.com
INTRODUCTION
Fire retardants are chemicals which are
appended to many materials to increase their
fire safety [1]. For instance, many plastics are
extremely flammable and therefore their fire
resistance is increased by adding fire
retardants in order to cut the danger of fire [2].
Flame retardants work over and done with a
number of different mechanisms. The
definitive goal is to decrease the potential of
ignition or to retard the spread of a flame over
the body of material the retardant is shielding
[3]. This is achieved by increasing the
combusting resistance of the materials to carry
on firing. Fire retardants are applied in a
numeral of different methods [4]. They can be
permeated into plastics during processing,
unified with insulation materials during
application, used as handlings for shingles and
decks and used on the surface of materials as
coatings or paints [5]. Some flame retardants
cause a treated cloth to char, thus inhibiting
the pyrolysis process [6]. Others remove
flammable gases by reacting with hydrogen
and hydroxide radicals in the air [7]. On that
point are four primary substances which work
to retard fire in different ways. These families
include halogenated, phosphorus, nitrogen and
inorganic flame retardants [8].
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials
Antimony Trioxide (Sb2O3) with particle size
2 µ; Polyester resin (Palatel A420); Chopped
E-type glass fibers.
i. Preparation of Test Specimens: The
samples of thermal erosion test have a disc
shape with (80 mm) diameter and (10 mm)
thickness. These samples consist of two
layers: (a) antimony trioxide (2 mm)
thickness, and (b) composite material layer
with (6 mm) thickness.
ii. Thermal Erosion Test: Flame generated
from butane-propane flame with 2000 °C
was used in this test. The system (contains
flame retardant material and composite
material) was exposed to this flame under
different exposure distances (10, 15 and
20 mm). Surface temperature method was
used here to calculate the amount of heat
transmitted through flame-retardant
material and composite material. A
transformation card (AD) which is called
thermal monitoring and recording system
(Figure 1) was used to observe and save
temperatures with time (in seconds).
Temperatures are measured by
thermocouple type-K in opposite surface.
Any change in temperatures and time will
appear in the computer.

2. Use of Antimony Trioxide to Increase Flame Retardancy Al-Mosawi and Abdulsada
JoSHCT (2015) 1-3 © STM Journals 2015. All Rights Reserved Page 2
Fig. 1: Thermal Monitoring and Recording System.
Fig. 2: Thermal Erosion Test with Different Exposure Distance.

3. Journal of Surface and Hybrid Coating Technology
Volume 2, Issue 1
JoSHCT (2015) 1-3 © STM Journals 2015. All Rights Reserved Page 3
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Figure 2 represents thermal erosion test with
different exposed distance. The curve (1) with
exposed distance (10 mm) showed that the
temperature of opposite surface to flame began
to increase with increasing time of exposure to
flame and during this time, antimony trioxide
absorbed heat and transformed to antimony
tetroxide which is also a flame retardant. This
represented endothermic process which
decreased surface temperature as well as
rise/fall of flame retardant layer and protect
the substrate [9].
This state of absorbed heat and transformed to
antimony tetroxide will improve as the
exposed distance increased to (15 mm) as
shown in Curve (2), where the flame heat
reached to antimony trioxide layer will
decrease. Curve(3) represents thermal erosion
test with exposed distance (20 mm). As
observed from this figure, the resistance to
flame will increase and the presence of
antimony trioxide will be longer due to
decreased amount of heat reaching the
retardant layer. The endothermic reaction will
continue until failure of this protect layer [10].
CONCLUSIONS
From the result obtained by thermal erosion
test, it was concluded: using antimony trioxide
improved the flame retardancy of composite.
Enhancement flame resistance by transformed
of antimony trioxide to tetroxide.
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Engineering College, Babylon University,
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Cite this Article:
Ali Ali I. Al-Mosawi, Shaymaa Abbas
Abdulsada..
Deposition of antimony
trioxide on the composite surface to
increase its flame retardancy. Journal of
Surface Hybrid and Coating
Technology. 2015; 2(1): 1–3p.