PROCESSING AND DYNAMIC-MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF POLYBUTHYLENE THEREPHTALATE BASED NANOCOMPOSITES

The influence of relevant replacements of a traditional phosphinate based fire retardant additive with metal oxide nanoparticles on the processability, fire performance and dynamic mechanical properties of a commercial polybuthylene therephtalate resin was investigated. Results have demonstrated that the addition of 2 wt% of iron or antimonium oxide nanoparticles with a simultaneous significant reduction, from 20 wt% to 8 wt% or also to 5 wt%, of a phosphorous based fire retardant (Exolit OP1240) concentrations deals to a clear improvement of the matrix processability by lowering its shear viscosity while maintaining fire performances of products. Dynamic‐mechanical measurements showed an increase of the material stiffness, especially in presence of iron oxide nanoparticles, no effect on the glass transition temperature of the matrix and a widening and raising of loss modulus signals as a sign of more heterogeneous structures formation.