Polymer nanocomposites as flame retardant : effect of filler types

Abstract

A new approach to address the ever-increasing demand for higher performance flame retrded products has recently focused on utilizing different inorganic additives (OC-MMT, silatrane and alumatrane). The metalatranes were synthesized via the Oxide One Pot Synthesis or OOPS process, in which alumatrane and silatrane were synthesized directly from aluminum hydroxide (A1(OH)3) with triisopropanolamine (TRIS) and silicone dioxide (SiO2) with triethanolamine (TEA), respectively. The main product of alumatrane was pentamer plus one morpholine (m/e 1250), and silatrane was dimer plus one EG (m/e 409). All of composite systems entail using above inorganic materials as flame retardant additives to commodity polymers, such as Nylon 12 and PVC. These nanocomposites were prepared from melt blending process, which had exfoliated structure. The WAXD spectra were correlated with TEM and SEM results showing the incorpoation btweeen inorganic additives and polymer matrices. However, the aggregation of silicate layers or silatrane agglomerates at high content loading indicated partially intercalated structure in our system. The gross heat calorific value was reduced while LOI value was increased. This not only increased efficiency of flame retardant additives, but also improved mechanical properties, increasing in the tensile strength and modulus as elongation.