Abstract
Crosslinking of polymers using crosslinking agents has been widely utilized to further improve the mechanical and thermal properties of the polymers. We have explored various aliphatic and aromatic dicarboxylic acids such as malonic acid, glutaric acid, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid and terephthaloyl chloride as crosslinking agents to crosslink polydimethylsiloxane copolymer [poly{poly(dimethylsiloxane-1000)-propylamine-5-aminoisophthaloyl}] to improve its flame retardant properties. We have also used nanoclays [Cloisite 20A, 2C18 MMT (dimethylditallowammonium-/ dimethyldioctadecylammonium-modified montmorillonite)] along with the crosslinker during crosslinking process to further reduce the flammability of the crosslinked polymers. Among all the crosslinkers investigated, isophthalic acid with the nanoclay was found to have the best performance for flame retardant applications. The present work provides a basis to further improve the performance of silicone-based polymers for the flame retardant applications.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
