Influence of Organically Modified Nanoclay on Thermal and Combustion Properties of Bagasse Reinforced HDPE Nanocomposites

Behzad Kord,Pouria Ravanfar,Nadir Ayrilmis

doi:10.1007/s10924-016-0897-x

Abstract

The nanocomposites of high density polyethylene (HDPE)/bagasse flour (BF) with different contents of the organomodified montmorillonite (OMMT) were produced by melt blending process. The thermal stability and combustion behavior of nanocomposites were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry, and cone calorimeter tests. The results of TGA data of the nanocomposites indicated that the OMMT greatly enhanced the thermal stability, and char residues of the HDPE/BF blends gradually increased with increasing the OMMT content. The activation energy was determined to describe the energy consumption of the initiation of the thermal degradation process. The composites produced with the 6 phc OMMT had the highest activation energy values among the evaluated composites (106 kJ/mol), whereas composites without nanoclay exhibited the lowest one. Furthermore, as the OMMT was incorporated into the nanocomposites, the melting temperature (Tm), crystallization temperature (Tc) melting enthalpy (∆Hm) and crystallinity (Xc) of HDPE/BF blends increased. The findings showed that the OMMT effectively boosted the flame retardancy of nanocomposites due to the formation of the carbonaceous silicate char shields delayed time to ignition and the combustion process was remarkably hindered.

Highlights

During the last few decades, thermoplastics have gained ever-increasing acceptance as an important family of engineering materials and are steadily replacing metals in a wide variety of applications
The results of thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data of the nanocomposites indicated that the organomodified montmorillonite (OMMT) greatly enhanced the thermal stability, and char residues of the high density polyethylene (HDPE)/bagasse flour (BF) blends gradually increased with increasing the OMMT content
The maximum tensile strength and modulus values were found to be 33.58 and 3361.52 MPa for the composites filled with 2 phc OMMT

Summary

Introduction

During the last few decades, thermoplastics have gained ever-increasing acceptance as an important family of engineering materials and are steadily replacing metals in a wide variety of applications. The commercial consumption of thermoplastics has steadily increased, and this trend is expected to continue despite an increase in their prices. This situation has created an impetus for cost reduction via composites by employing fillers in thermoplastics [1]. Organic reinforcements such as natural fibers have penetrated slowly into the market of thermoplastic composites. This was because the natural fibers they offer many advantages over most common inorganic fillers such as a reduced wear of processing equipment and are renewable, recyclable, non-hazardous, and biodegradable. The replacement of inorganic fillers with comparable natural fibers provides weight savings and decreases the cost of materials without reducing the rigidity of the composites [2, 3]

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Discussion

Conclusion