Adhesives Type on the Burning Rate and Emission Properties of Honeycomb Sandwich Composite

Sandwich composite is an important part of engineering products capable of replacing metallic composite. It consists of two types of material, namely polypropylene honeycomb core and skin made from jute fiber-reinforced epoxy composite (JFRP), which are joined with glue. This study presented a unique discussion about adhesives that focused on the burning rate and emission performance of SA-A and SD-E. The burning rate performance was assessed with the UL-94 HB test in accordance with the ASTM D 635 standard. Emission value of both adhesives was also examined in line with the ASTM D 2863 standard using a Gasboard-3100P Syngas analyzer. In addition, FTIR and SEM analyses were used to determine the characteristics of the SA-A and SD-E adhesives. The results showed a significant difference in adhesives rates, with SA-A burning 0.5% faster than SD-E in addition to a 0.58% reduced weight loss. Emission test confirmed that both adhesives have similar LOI values of 22.6% and 22.8%, respectively. SA-A adhesives contained LSD, which is dangerous to human health. In conclusion, SD-E adhesives should be used on sandwich composite due to its epoxy-based potential as a flame retardant because SA-A adhesives has more potential to trigger firing due to the fuel content.