Mechanisms of fire retardancy of intumescent Gaialene® (a polypropylene-grafted starch, containing ammonium polyphosphate as flame retardant) exhibiting high performance (60% reduction of the peak of heat release rate at 35 kW/m2, high limiting oxygen index (30 vol% O2), and UL-94 V0 ranking at 1.6 mm and V2 at 0.8 mm) have been investigated by thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared gas phase analysis, by pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy, by rheology, and by solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance. It was shown that phosphoric acid released upon fire acts in solid phase by catalyzing the degradation of starch, enhancing the development of an intumescent shield protecting the polymer.
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