Preparation and combustion properties of flame retardant nylon 6/montmorillonite nanocomposite

Flame retardant Nylon 6 (PA6)/montmorillonite(MMT) nanocomposites have been prepared using direct melt intercalation technique by blending PA6, organophilic clay and conventional fire retardants, such as the melamine cyanurate (MCA) and the combination of decabromodiphenyl oxide(DB) and antimony oxide (AO). Their morphology and combustion properties are characterized by XRD, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UL-94 test and Cone Calorimeter experiments. The flame retardant nanocomposites with MCA or DB and AO show lower heat release rate (HRR)peak compared to that of convention flame retardant PA6. Meanwhile, the synergetic effect was studied between clay and DB-AO.