Preparation and Flame Retardancy of Hydrotalcite/Montmorillonite Nanocomposite

Abstract Layered nanocomposite hydrotalcite/montmorillonite (LDH/MMT) was obtained though in-situ synthesis of nickel-magnesium-aluminum hydrotalcite (Ni-Mg-Al LDH) on the surface of montmorillonite nanosheets (MMTNS) by one-step hydrothermal method. X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) were used to characterize the composite material. The flame retardancy property of the composite was investigated by thermogravimetry (TG) and cone calorimeter (Cone). The results show that both the hydrotalcite and montmorillonite nanosheets have a lamellar structure; LDH/MMT composite has better thermal stability than that of hydrotalcite or montmorillonite alone, and the flame retardant effect of LDH/MMT on polystyrene (PS) is more obvious. The composite material can reduce the maximum heat release rate of polystyrene during combustion by 14.8%.