Intumescent features of nucleic acids and proteins

• The combustion resistance of DNA and caseins to different heat fluxes was studied.
• Upon heating, DNA and caseins exhibited an intumescent behaviour.
• The char derived from DNA was more stable and coherent than that from caseins.

Are nucleic acids and proteins intumescent molecules? In order to get an answer, in the present manuscript, powders of deoxyribose nucleic acids (DNA) and caseins have been exposed to different heat fluxes under a cone calorimeter source and to the direct application of a propane flame. Under these conditions, DNA and caseins exhibited a typical intumescent behaviour, generating a coherent expanded cellular carbonaceous residue (char), extremely resistant to heat exposure. The resulting volumetric expansion as well as the resistance of the formed char turned out to be dependent on (i) the chemical structure of the chosen biomacromolecule, (ii) the evolution of ammonia and (iii) the adopted heat flux in cone calorimetry tests (namely, 25, 35, 50 and 75 kW/m2). The presence of ribose units within the DNA backbone determined the formation of highly expanded and coherent residues as compared to those obtained from caseins. Indeed, under a heat flux of 35 kW/m2, when a carbon source (i.e. common cane sugar) was added to caseins, the resulting char was similar to that formed by DNA. Furthermore, the char expansion was ascribed to the evolution of ammonia released by these biomacromolecules upon heating, as detected by thermogravimetry coupled to infrared spectroscopy, and confirmed by scanning electron microscopy experiments performed on the bubbles present in the residues of flammability tests.

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