Further studies on polystyrene/cerium (IV) oxide system: melt blending and interaction with montmorillonite |
| |
| Authors: | Guipeng Cai Shaorong Xu Zhengzhou Wang Charles A. Wilkie |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemistry and Fire Retardant Research Facility, Marquette University, , Milwaukee, WI, 53201 USA;2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tongji University, , Shanghai, 201804 China |
| |
| Abstract: | In order to clarify questions raised from a recent study on the polymer/cerium (IV) oxide (CeO2) system, polystyrene/CeO2 was prepared by melt blending, which produces only microscale dispersed CeO2. The incorporation of CeO2 moderately enhances the thermal stability of the composites. Because of the limited surface area of microscale CeO2 particles compared with nanoscale particles, the microscale dispersed CeO2 induces negligible peak heat release rate reduction in cone calorimetry. Combination of CeO2 with organoclay does not show any advantages with either microdispersion of nanodispersion of CeO2 in polystyrene and polymethylmethacrylate matrices. In summary, the nanodispersion (i.e. surface area) of CeO2 particles is a critical factor in fire retardancy of the composites. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
| |
| Keywords: | cerium oxide montmorillonite fire retardancy |
|
|
