Synthesis of highly efficient flame retardant polypropylene nanocomposites with surfactant intercalated layered double hydroxides

The thermal and flame retardant performances of polypropylene (PP) nanocomposites with sodium dodecyl sulfate (DDS) and stearic acid intercalated layered double hydroxides (DDS-LDHs and stearic-LDHs) were investigated in this study. The DDS- and stearic-LDHs were treated using the aqueous miscible organic solvent treatment (AMOST) method to give highly dispersed platelets in PP composites. The incorporation of AMO-DDS- and stearic-LDHs improved the thermal stability and flame retardancy of the PP matrix significantly. The T 0.5 (temperature at 50% weight loss) of PP/AMO-stearic-LDH (20 wt%) nanocomposites dramatically increased by 80 °C compared to that of neat PP. The flame retardant performance was dependent on both surfactants and the loading of LDHs. The AMO-stearic-LDHs showed better flame retardant properties than the AMO-DDS-LDHs, especially when the LDH loading was higher than ca. 7 wt%. In addition, stearic-LDHs with different solvothermal times including 5, 10, 24 and 72 h were studied. It was found that the nanocomposites with LDHs solvothermally treated for 10 h showed the best thermal stability. The PP/stearic-LDH (24 h) nanocomposites with 20 wt% LDH loading possessed a better flame retardant performance, with PHRR reduction reaching 70%.