A novel preparation of nanosized hexagonal Mg(OH)2 as a flame retardant

Nanosized dispersive hexagonal magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)(2)) has been prepared using an ammonia-hydrothermal method. Citric acid and monoethanolamine (MEA) were added to the reaction system during the ammonia precipitation and hydrothermal processes, respectively, to improve the crystallinity and dispersion of the (Mg(OH)(2)) particles. The resulting Mg(OH)(2) samples obtained under the optimum preparation conditions were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and thermal gravity analysis, which showed that this newly developed procedure afforded well-dispersed hexagonal nanoplates of Mg(OH)(2) with a mean diameter of 246 nm. (C) 2015 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.