Flame retardance polystyrene/clay nanocomposites

Table 8.9 gives the cone data for flame retardant polystyrene nanocomposites (PS/OLP-clay) prepared using clay modified with an oligomeric phosphate ammonium salt (OLP) containing both ammonium salt and phosphate-pendant groups placed randomly along the polymer backbone. The HRR data for the... 

Wang, J. Du, J. Zhu, J. Wilkie, C.A. An XPS study of the thermal degradation and flame retardant mechanism of polystyrene-clay nanocomposites. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 2002, 77, 249-252. 

Morgan, A.B. Chu, L.L. Harris, J.D. A flammability performance comparison between synthetic and natural clays in polystyrene nanocomposites. Proceedings of Flame Retardants, 27-28, January 2004 Interscience Communications London, U.K., 2004 85-96. 

Nanocomposites of syndiotactic polystyrene (sPS) employing MMT-hexadecyltributylphosphonium [40, 41] and high-impact polystyrene (H1PS)/MMT-hexadecyltriphenylphosphonium [42] were prepared by melt-blending and in situ coordination-insertion polymerization. Partially exfoliated or intercalated materials were obtained in all cases, and a decrease of crystallinity of sPS was observed. However, the presence of clay did not have a strong influence on the sPS thermal transitions. Thermal decomposition of the material was slowed and mechanieal properties were improved in the presence of low organoclay content. Intercalated HIPS nanocomposites were obtained, with improved thermal and flame retardant properties compared to pure HIPS (Figure 3.8). 

X. Zheng and C. A. Wilkie, Flame retardancy of polystyrene nanocomposites based on an oligomeric organically-modified clay containing phosphate. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 81 (2003), 539-50. 

This book covers both fundamental and applied research associated with polymer-based nanocomposites, and presents possible directions for further development of high performanee nanocomposites. It has two main parts. Part I has 12 chapters which are entirely dedicated to those polymer nanocomposites containing layered silicates (clay) as an additive. Many thermoplastics, thermosets, and elastomers are included, such as polyamide (Chapter 1), polypropylene (Chapter 4), polystyrene (Chapter 5), poly(butylene terephthalate) (Chapter 9), poly(ethyl acrylate) (Chapter 6), epoxy resin (Chapter 2), biodegradable polymers (Chapter 3), water soluble polymers (Chapter 8), acrylate photopolymers (Chapter 7) and rubbers (Chapter 12). In addition to synthesis and structural characterisation of polymer/clay nanocomposites, their unique physical properties like flame retardancy (Chapter 10) and gas/liquid barrier (Chapter 11) properties are also discussed. Furthermore, the crystallisation behaviour of polymer/clay nanocomposites and the significance of chemical compatibility between a polymer and clay in affecting clay dispersion are also considered. 

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