Effects of sulfonated carbon on the catalytic carbonization and smoke suppression of sawdust board

In this study, sulfonated carbon was obtained by sulfonating pine carbon with fuming sulfuric acid. Characterized by elemental analyzer, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectrometry, it showed that –SO ₃ H was successfully bonded onto the pine carbon’ skeleton in the sulfonation reaction. The effects of pine carbon and sulfonated carbon on the catalytic carbonization and smoke suppression of sawdust boards, and its flame-retardant mechanism were investigated by cone calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and pyrolysis–gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. And the results demonstrated that sawdust boards containing sulfonated carbon showed superior performance, determined by comparing the peak heat release rate, total heat release, smoke release rate, and total smoke product. Furthermore, with the addition of sulfonated carbon, a carbon layer was formed with a strong oxygen-containing hybrid structure and carbohydrate structure, the pyrolysis of sawdust boards was inhibited, and its char yield was increased.