Thermal stability and flame-retardancy mechanism of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/boehmite nanocomposites

The thermal stability and flame-retardancy properties of poly(ethylene terephthalate)/nano-boehmite composites (PET/AlOOH) were investigated using composites prepared in situ. Combustion behaviour and flammability were assessed using the limiting oxygen index (LOI) and cone calorimetry. The incorporation of nano-boehmite increased the LOI of PET from 18 to greater than 25. Cone calorimetry showed that the heat release rates and total smoke production values of PET/AlOOH composites were significantly less than those of pure PET. It also showed that PET/AlOOH combustion produced greater quantities of char residues than did PET combustion. These results showed that nano-boehmite is an effective flame-retardant for PET. Combustion residues were examined using scanning electron microscopy, indicating that nano-boehmite addition produced consistent, thick char crusts. Thermal stability and pyrolysis were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis and pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, showing that thermal stability of PET/AlOOH was superior to that of pure PET, fewer cracking products were produced in nanocomposite combustion than in pure PET combustion, and pyrolysis of the flame-retardant polyester was incomplete. We propose a condensed phase mechanism for the PET/AlOOH flame-retardancy effect.