Polypropylene-nanoclay composites containing flame retardant additive: Thermal stability and kinetic study in inert atmosphere

Abstract

Thermal degradation and stability of polypropylene-nanoclay composites containing organic phosphinate (OP) and ammonium polyphosphate (AP) flame retardants with maximum total 20 per cent loading was carried out using thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses in inert atmosphere. Kinetic methods such as Broido, Horowitz-Metzger and Coats-Redfern were applied to study the mechanism of degradation of materials. The thermal stability of PP/PPgMA/AP/15A nanocomposite containing total 20 per cent loading is increased by 20 oC in comparison to that of control sample and also gives high char yield (14.4 %) due to presence of exfoliated clay and phosphorylating effect of AP in condensed phase. The random nucleation (first order) mechanism is found the most probable mechanism for PP composites degradation from kinetic study. The future prospective of the study is to develop superior fire safe polymeric materials © 2013 VBRI press.