In-situ growth of layered double hydroxide on montmorillonite nanosheets to improve the flame retardant performance of ABS resin

Layered double hydroxide (LDH) is a widely used flame retardant in polymer materials; however, the poor dispersion due to its high hydrophilic nature results in disappointing thermal stability and fire safety. In this work, LDH was in-situ grown on the disordered montmorillonite (MMT) nanosheets to obtain the hybrid of LDH and MMT nanosheets (LDH@MMT, simplified as LM). Various techniques, including X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscope were used to characterize the microstructure of LM. In addition, the acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) composite containing LM and intumescent flame retardant (IFR) was prepared, and its mechanical and flame-retardant properties were also measured. The characterization results demonstrate that the LM exhibits a periodically alternating layered structure. The Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) of the ABS composite reaches 27.2% with a V-0 rating in the UL-94 vertical burning test, while its flexural strength and tensile strength decrease by only 17.82% and 13.45%, respectively. Furthermore, the heat release rate, total heat release, smoke production rate, and carbon monoxide production rate of the ABS composite present a significant decline in cone calorimeter tests compared with those of pure ABS. The results further indicate that the hybridization could effectively improve the flame-retardant performance of ABS composites and perform lesser impacts on their mechanical properties.