Facile synthesis of LDH nanoplates as reinforcing agents in PVA nanocomposites

In the present study, layered double hydroxide (LDH) nanoplates with high crystallinity and uniform size were facilely synthesized to act as reinforcing agents in polymer materials. The structure of the synthesized LDH nanoplates was characterized by X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectra, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy measurements. Subsequently, the LDH nanoplates were incorporated into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) matrix as reinforcing agents based on a solution casting method. The LDH nanoplates were well dispersed in PVA matrix and formed strong interfacial interactions with PVA chains, leading to remarkable improvements of thermal stability, flame retardancy, and mechanical properties. With the incorporation of 1 wt% LDH nanoplates into PVA, the T_onset and T_50% increased by 11°C and 57°C, respectively. Moreover, the presence of LDH nanoplates decreases the decomposition rates of PVA and increases the amount of char residues. Compared with pure PVA, the peak heat release rate value of the PVA/5 wt% LDH nanocomposites is decreased by 52%. The tensile strength and the elongation at break increased by 71% and 187%, respectively, when incorporating with 3 wt% LDH nanoplates. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.