Thermal stability and flammability performance of polypropylene composites with silica pillared montmorillonites.

In present work, silica pillared montmorillonite material (C-SiO₂-OMT) was prepared via the sol-gel method, and the influence of the powder on thermal stability and flammability performance of polypropylene (PP) composites was investigated. Characterization of C-SiO₂-OMT, elucidated with X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and N₂ adsorption-desorption, suggested that the powder had a mesoporous lamellar structure with high specific surface area and mesoporous volume. The formation of porous structure of C-SiO₂-OMT was more conducive than organically modified montmorillonite (OMT) to slowing the volatilization of pyrolytic products generated during thermal degradation process, which led to PP/C-SiO₂-OMT microcomposite show better thermal stability than PP/OMT nanocomposite at high temperature range. Flammability properties of these polymer materials evaluated by microscale combustion calorimetry, and cone calorimetry showed a contrary tendency, but C-SiO₂-OMT holds high promise to reduce the smoke yield. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]