Flame retardancy mechanisms of aryl phosphates in combination with boehmite in bisphenol A polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene blends

The influence of nano-dispersed 5 wt.% boehmite (AlOOH) and 5 wt.% AlOOH combined with bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BDP) in bisphenol A polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (PC/ABS) + poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE), and 1 wt.% AlOOH with and without BDP, resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP), and triphenyl phosphate (TPP), on PC/ABS + PTFE has been investigated. Possible flame retardancy mechanisms are revealed. Thermogravimetry (TG) and evolved gas analysis (TG-FTIR) are used to study pyrolysis, a cone calorimeter applying different external heat fluxes is used to investigate fire behaviour, and LOI and UL 94 are used to investigate flammability. Fire residues were investigated using ATR-FTIR.Adding 5 wt.% AlOOH decreases the peak heat release rate, as also has been reported for polymer nanocomposites with other layered structures. AlOOH releases water, and adding 5 wt.% AlOOH crucially influences thermal decomposition by enhancing the hydrolysis of PC and of BDP. For PC/ABS + PTFE + BDP + 5 wt.% AlOOH, the formation of AlPO₄, for instance, results in antagonistic effects on the charring of PC + BDP, whereas synergy is observed in LOI. When only 1 wt.% AlOOH is added to the PC/ABS + PTFE with and without BDP, RDP and TPP, respectively, no significant influence is observed on thermal decomposition, UL 94, LOI or performance in the cone calorimeter.