2026-10-06T07:28:57Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/34022195 2026-09-29T09:03:25Z category_1 category_4 category_16 category_21 category_128 portal_63 item_type_6 month_year_09_2026

Plasma-Engineered Poly(ether ether ketone) Fibers and Flame Retardants for High-Performance Epoxy Composites Dongyu Hou (10461321) Wenchao Zhang (1324959) Ziyu Yu (12900708) Zhe Zhang (81603) Xuesong Chen (86302) Qixin Yuan (16679936) Xiaoming Wang (187053) Yuanhang Yao (8633904) Dong Yue (403749) Yu Feng (445691) Biophysics Biochemistry Physiology Biotechnology Hematology strong interfacial interactions stable char layer obtained composite achieves limiting oxygen index hierarchical fiber structure flexural strengths remain fire safety challenges ether ether ketone density data centers breakdown field strength 80 ° c 312 w · phase combustion suppression multifunctional ep composites intensified thermal management demonstrating excellent high pure ep phase protection thermal conductivity reliable thermal useful basis temperature stability smoke release retardant performance retardant fillers retardant effects power electronic natural bamboo findings provide epoxy system engineered poly combined thermogravimetric combined effects cloud computing 9 kv 120 mpa Recently, cloud computing and high-density data centers have intensified thermal management and fire safety challenges, creating a need for multifunctional EP composites with reliable thermal, electrical, mechanical, and flame-retardant performance. Inspired by the hierarchical fiber structure and strong interfacial interactions of natural bamboo, this work first synthesized poly(ether ether ketone) and functionalized its surface by depositing silica via plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition, followed by blending with flame-retardant fillers and incorporation into the epoxy system. The obtained composite achieves a limiting oxygen index of 43.7% and a thermal conductivity of 0.312 W·m^–1·K^–1, representing a 57% increase over pure EP. At 80 °C, the breakdown field strength of the composite still reaches 44.9 kV/mm, while the tensile and flexural strengths remain at 70 and 120 MPa, respectively, demonstrating excellent high-temperature stability. Combined thermogravimetric-infrared and cone calorimeter analyses indicate that this composite system reduces heat and smoke release, promotes the formation of a continuous, dense, and stable char layer, and thereby achieves synergistic flame-retardant effects through the combined effects of condensed-phase protection and gas-phase combustion suppression. These findings provide a useful basis for designing highly reliable epoxy composites for high-power electronic and electrical applications. 2026-09-29T00:00:00Z Text Journal contribution 10.1021/acsapm.6c03130.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/Plasma-Engineered_Poly_ether_ether_ketone_Fibers_and_Flame_Retardants_for_High-Performance_Epoxy_Composites/34022195 CC BY-NC 4.0