Effects of Magnesium Hydroxide Containing Copper Compound on the Properties of Polypropylene Composites

Abstract

Rod-like morphological magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles were synthesized via coprecipitation with copper ions. Flame retardant composites were prepared by these particles and polypropylene. The microstructure, flame retardation, mechanical property, thermal oxidative degradation behavior and mechanism of these composites were discussed. The results demonstrated that these composites containing copper compound increased the flame retardation, but decreased the initial oxidative decomposition temperatures and mechanical properties. Thermogravimetric and infrared analysis showed that the decomposition procedure was divided into three stages. In addition, the degradation kinetics was analyzed by Flynn-Wall-Ozawa method, and it showed that polypropylene composites containing copper compound exhibited a different decomposition mechanism.

Keywords:

• Copper compound
• Flame retardancy
• Magnesium hydroxide
• Polypropylene
• Thermal stability

Notes

The obtained MH samples were labeled as Cu0, Cu0.2, Cu0.4 and Cu0.8 according to the content of added copper ions. ∗The former of the –/– are for the contents of copper ions added in the preparation procedures of MH (mol%: n(Cu²⁺)/n(Mg²⁺)), and the latter are for the elemental analysis results of copper contents in the subsequent MH samples.

T_5%, onset decomposition temperature of 5% weight loss; T_p, temperature of the maximum weight loss rate of DTG; R₅₀₀°_C, the residual weight at 500°C.

^a The two T_p at the first and the last weight loss stages.