Fabrication and Characterization of Fire‐Extinguishing Microcapsule‐Infused <scp>LDPE</scp> Composite Films via Kneader Processing

ABSTRACT Fire‐extinguishing microcapsules show promise as an innovative material for early‐stage fire suppression; however, their practical applications remain limited—mainly to coating and curing methods. A significant challenge to wider adoption is their tendency to rupture during composite processing, which undermines their effectiveness in preventing fire‐related property damage. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the influence of processing conditions and microcapsule content on the fire suppression performance of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) composites. Microcapsules, consisting of a urea‐formaldehyde shell containing Novec‐7300 as the extinguishing agent, were incorporated into LDPE. Composite films containing 5%, 10%, and 15% microcapsule loadings were fabricated under optimized processing conditions to minimize damage during polymer melting. Micro‐torch combustion tests confirmed that composite films containing 15% microcapsules successfully self‐extinguished. These results highlight the importance of optimizing processing parameters and material composition to develop fire‐extinguishing composites that combine high processability with effective fire suppression performance.