Flame retardant mechanism of polyamide 6-clay nanocomposites

The thermal and flammability properties of polyamide 6/clay (2 and 5% by mass fraction) nanocomposites were measured to determine their flame retardant (FR) performance. The gasification process of the narrocomposite samples at an external radiant flux of 50 kW/m(2) in a nitrogen atmosphere was observed, and the residues collected at various sample mass losses were analyzed by thermogravimetric analysis, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction to determine the content of the residue and to understand the FR mechanism of the nanocomposites. The analysis of the floccules of blackened residues shows that up to 80% by mass of the residues consists of clay particles and the remainder is thermally stable organic components with possible graphitic structure. Furthermore, clay particles are stacked in the carbonaceous floccule residues and the d-spacing of the clay platelets is in the range of 1.3-1.4 nm as compared to the well exfoliated original sample. The accumulation of the initially well-dispersed clay particles in the sample on the burning/gasifying sample surface are due to two possible mechanisms. One is recession of the polymer resin from the surface by pyrolysis with the de-wetted clay particles left behind. Another mechanism is the transportation of clay particles pushed by numerous rising bubbles of degradation products and the associated convection flow in the melt from the interior of the sample toward the sample surface. Numerous rising bubbles may have another effect on the transport of clay particles. Bursting of the bubbles at the sample surface pushes the accumulated clay particles outward from the bursting area and forms the island-like floccules instead of forming a continuous net-like structure of a clay filled protective layer. Therefore, both PA6/clay nanocomposite samples did not produce sufficient amounts of protective floccules to cover the entire sample surface and vigorous bubbling was observed over the sample surface which was not covered by the protective floccules. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.