Preparation and properties of halogen-free flame-retarded polyamide 6/organoclay nanocomposite

Halogen-free flame-retarded polyamide 6/organoclay (PA6/OMT) nanocomposite was prepared by using magnesium hydroxide (MH) and red phosphorus (RP) as a flame retardant and organoclay (OMT) as synergist via a melt blend technique. The morphology was characterized by XRD and TEM. The effects of organoclay on the mechanical properties and flammability of the PA6 were investigated. The results show higher mechanical and flame-retarded properties of the nanocomposite as compared with flame-retarded PA6 and a synergistic effect among OMT, MH and RP. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.