Preparation and characterization of aluminum hypophosphite/reduced graphene oxide hybrid material as a flame retardant additive for PBT

Aluminum hypophosphite/reduced graphene oxide (AHP/RGO) hybrid flame retardant with high thermal stability was successfully prepared by a one-step method consisting of the simultaneous reduction of graphene oxide and the deposition of AHP on graphene. The as-prepared sample was characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The obtained sample was used as a flame retardant for polybutylene terephthalate, and the flame retardancy of the composites was investigated by a limiting oxygen index test, a UL-94 test, and cone calorimetry. The results showed that AHP/RGO exhibited improved flame retardancy when compared with bare AHP. The addition of AHP/RGO to polybutylene terephthalate led to a significant reduction in the heat release rate and resulted in excellent anti-dripping properties for the composites. Copyright (c) 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.