Design of copper salt@graphene nanohybrids to accomplish excellent resilience and superior fire safety for flexible polyurethane foam.

[Display omitted] • Three copper salt decorated graphene hybrids were successfully synthesized (rGO@CuO, rGO@Cu 2 O and rGO@CSOH). • Copper salt hybrids impart hybrid FPUF with excellent tensile, compression and buffering performance. • The hybrid FPUF reveals excellent flame retardancy and smoke suppression properties. • The rGO@CSOH shows a significant decreasement in reducing the heat hazard of hybrid FPUF. • The rGO@Cu 2 O demonstrates excellent smoke and toxic gases suppression in hybrid FPUF. Flexible polyurethane foam (FPUF) is the most commonly used polyurethane, but its highly flammable characteristics makes it ignite easily and release a lot of heat and toxic gases. Here, the effect of different forms of copper salt modified graphene (rGO@CuO, rGO@Cu 2 O and rGO@CSOH) on improving the fire protection efficiency and mechanical property of FPUF is explored. Hybrid FPUF is characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), cone calorimeter, thermogravimetric analysis/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TG-IR), tension, compression, and falling ball rebound testing. Compared with pure FPUF, the FPUF/rGO@CSOH show a significant decreasement in reducing the heat release of FPUF, the PHRR and THR are reduced by 36.9% and 29.4%, respectively. While the FPUF/rGO@Cu 2 O demonstrate excellent smoke and toxic gases suppression in FPUF, the PSPR and TSR are reduced by 24.6% and 51.9%, and the COP and COY are also reduced by 51.9% and 55.3%, respectively. After adding the copper salt hybrid, the buffering performance of FPUF did not change. Fortunately, the tensile and compressive strength increase obviously. The flame retardant and smoke suppression mechanism of hybrid FPUF has also been studied. This article gives a effective strategy for the preparation of FPUF with outstanding mechanical property, flame retardant and smoke suppression properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]