- Author
- Gilman, J. W. | Davis, R. | Awad, W. H. | Morgan, A. B. | Trulove, P. C. | DeLong, H. C. | Sutto, T. E. | Mathias, L. | Davis, C. | Schiraldi, D.
- Title
- Improved Thermal Stability of Crown Ether and Imidazolium Treatments for Flame Retardant Polymer Layered-Silicate Nanocomposites.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Arlington, VA Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg KoSa, Charlotte, NC
- Book or Conf
- Flame Retardants 2002. (Flame Retardants '02). 10th Conference Proceedings. British Plastics Federation and Interscience Communications in collaboration with the Association of Plastics Manufacturers, European Flame Retardant Association and the Fire Retardant Chemicals Association. February 5-6, 2002, Interscience Communications Ltd., London, England, London, England, 139-146 p., 2002
- Keywords
- flame retardants | nanocomposites | thermal stability | thermogravimetric analysis
- Abstract
- The thermal stability of the organic treatment present on a layered silicate is of utmost importance in preparing a polymer-layered silicate (clay) nanocomposite by melt processing methods. Specifically, the organic treatment must not decompose at temperatures needed for successful polymer processing. Currently used alkyl ammonium treatments for polymer layered-silicate nanocomposites begin decomposition around 200 C, and many polymers are processed above that temperature. Recent work done in our laboratory has developed two new types of organic treatments for clays, with each having significantly higher thermal stability than alkyl ammonium treated clays. The two new types of organic treatments are crown ethers and imidazolium salts. The work presented in this paper shows the thermal properties of these material, as well as their ability to be dispersed in a polymer when used to make a nanocomposite. The implications of this work in terms of optimizing the flammability and physical properties of polymer nanocomposites will also be discussed.