Nanocomposites: Radiative Gasification and Vinyl Polymer Flammability.
Nanocomposites: Radiative Gasification and Vinyl
Polymer Flammability.
(1636 K)
Gilman, J. W.; Kashiwagi, T.; Giannelis, E. P.; Manias,
E.; Lomakin, S. M.; Lichtenhan, J. D.; Jones, P.
Fire Retardancy of Polymers: The Use of Intumescence.
6th European Meeting. (FRPM'97). Proceedings. Special
Publication No. 224. Organised Jointly by the
Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique et de Physico-Chimie
des Solides' de l'E.N.S.C. de Lille and the Centre de
Recherche et d'Etude des Procedes d'Ignifugation des
Materiaux. September 24-26, 1997, Lille, France, Royal
Society of Chemistry, Cambridge, UK, LeBras, M.; Camino,
G.; Bourbigot, S.; Delobel, R., Editor(s)(s), 203-221
pp, 1998.
Keywords:
nanocomposites; gasification; flammability; vinyl
polymers; nylon 6 (trademark); cone calorimeters;
polystyrene; polypropylene
Abstract:
In the pursuit of improved approaches to flame retarding
polymers a wide variety of concerns must be addressed.
The low cost of commodity polymers requires that the
fire retardant (FR) approach be of low cost. This limits
the solutions to the problem primarily to additive type
approaches. These additives must be easily processed
with the polymer, must not excessively degrade the other
performance properties, and must not create
environmental problems in terms of recycling or
disposal. Currently, some of the commonly used flame
retardant approaches for polymers can reduce the thermal
and mechanical properties of the polymer. Polymer-clay
nanocomposites are hybrid organic polymer inorganic
layered materials with unique properties when compared
to conventional filled polymers. The mechanical
properties for nylon-6 clay nanocomposite, with clay
mass fraction of 5%, show excellent improvement over
those for the pure nylon-6. The nanocomposite exhibits
a 40% higher tensile strength, 68% greater tensile
modulus, 60% higher flexural strength 126% increased
flexural modulus, and comparable impact strengths. The
heat distortion temperature (HDT) is increased from 65
deg C to 152 deg C. Previously, we reported on the
flammability properties of nylon-6 clay nanocomposites.
Here, we will briefly review these results, present the
results of radiative gasification experiments and report
on our initial studies of the flammability of
intercalated polymer-clay nanocomposites prepared from
polystyrene, PS, and polypropylene-graft-maleic
anhydride, PP-g-MA.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899