• Tan, Vu Minh
• Ha, Hoang Mai
• Dat, Doan Tien
• Hanh, Nguyen Thi
• Hien, Nguyen Thi Thu
• Doanh, Truong Cong
• Nhung, Hac Thi

Abstract

<jats:p>The zinc borate nanoparticles (2ZnO.3B2O3.3H2O) were successfully prepared by precipitation reaction in aqueous solutions of borax and zinc sulfate using oleic acid as a surfactant. The structural, morphological characteristics and the wettability of the particle surface were studied through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the contact angle. The hydrophobic zinc borate (n-ZB) had nanoplatelet morphology with a diameter of 1.0 - 1.5 µm and thickness of about 90 nm. Nano zinc borate showed a synergistic influence with expandable graphite (EG) and red phosphorus (RP) on the flame retardant properties and thermo-oxidative stability of polypropylene (PP). The nanocomposite 7n-ZB/7RP/7EG/PP achieved the V-1 UL94 verticle burning test with a limited oxygen index of 23.7% and the char yield of 14.67 wt.% at 900 oC. Furthermore, the fire retardant performance and the mechanical properties of the nanocomposites loading ZB nanoparticles were improved compared with the composites employing commercial ZB microparticles.</jats:p>

Topics

• nanoparticle
• nanocomposite
• surface
• scanning electron microscopy
• x-ray diffraction
• Oxygen
• zinc
• precipitation
• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy
• surfactant
• Phosphorus
• oxygen index