Effects of metal oxides on intumescent flame-retardant polypropylene

Variable amounts of transition metal oxides (MO), such as MnO(2), ZnO, Ni(2)O(3), etc., were incorporated into blends of polypropylene (PP)/ammonium polyphosphate (APP)/dipentaerythritol (DPER) with the aim of studying and comparing their effects with main-group MO on intumescent flame retardance (IFR). The PP/IFR/MO composites were prepared using a twin-screw extruder, and the IFR behavior was evaluated through oxygen index and vertical burning tests. The progressive enhancement of flame retardancy has proved to be strongly associated with the interaction between APP and MO. With the aid of thermogravimetry (TG) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and scanning electron microscopy, Ni(2)O(3) has been shown to be the most effective among the aforementioned three MO. The flame-retardant mechanism of the IFR system is also discussed in terms of catalytic charring, which relates to complex formation through the d-orbitals of the transition metal elements. It is considered that the melt viscosity of a PP/APP/DPER blend containing Ni(2)O(3) corresponds well to the gas release with increasing temperature. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.