Study on fire-retardant nanocrystalline Mg-Al layered double hydroxides synthesized by microwave-crystallization method

Nanocrystalline Mg-Al layered double hydroxides with the particle size being 10-40 nm were firstly prepared by the technology of the microwave-crystallization and the variable-speed addition of the alkali. The obtained samples were characterized by TEM and XRD. The roles of the microwave and addition rate of the alkali were also discussed in the present work. The thermal decomposition activation energy of the nano-LDHs was calculated according to their TG, DTG and DSC curves by the Ozawa method. The results showed that the thermal decomposition of the nano-LDHs had four steps. Thereby the decomposition model of the nano-LDHswas supposed according to the analysis of their thermal decomposition. After PS, ABS, HDPE and PVC were filled with the nano-LDHs, their LOI values could be increased up to 28, 27, 26 and 33, respectively. When the fire-retardant coating contained 1.9% of the nano-LDHs that was 0.27 times the dosage of the conventional TiO2, its fire endurance time reached 32.75min that was 7.05 min longer than that of the best coating containing TiO2 according to the model big-panel combustion test method.