The Effect of the Addition of Mg-Al LDH Intercalated with Dodecyl Sulfate on the Fire Retardancy Properties of Epoxy

Summary: Layered double hydroxides (LDH) are chemical compounds that can be added to polymeric resins to confer fire retardant characteristics. The focus of this work is to study the incorporation of LDH intercalated with dodecylsulfate anions into epoxy resins. The mechanical properties were investigated using tensile, flexural and impact mechanical tests. The flame-retardant properties were assessed using horizontal (UL 94 HB) and vertical burning (UL 94 V) tests. The highest tensile strength was obtained for the composite with 3 wt% of LDH, whereas the highest flexural strength was found by incorporating 1 wt% of LDH. All samples containing LDH showed self-extinguishing behavior in the vertical test and lower burning rate than pristine epoxy.