Physico–mechanical and thermal stability of wood flour/waste polypropylene nanocomposites: impact of flame retardant fillers and gamma irradiation

Abstract

The synergistic effect of fire retardant agents, nanoclay (NC), aluminum trihydrate (ATH) and Hisil on the physico–mechanical properties, thermal degradation and flame retardance performance of wood flour/waste polypropylene composites (WF/WPP) was studied. The prepared composites were irradiated with gamma radiation doses of 10 and 20 kGy. The developed nanocomposites were characterized by mechanical, thermogravimetric (TGA) and flammability measurements. The results indicated that the synergistic effect of the fillers, 10 phr NC and 5 phr Hisil, was found greater than that of 10 phr NC/5 phr ATH or NC alone. Loading the fabricated composite with 5 phr ATH or Hisil created a good fire retardant wood possessing many advantages of fireproof, waterproof, moistureproof, chemical resistance and environmentally friendly features. Similarly, the application of gamma irradiation led to an overall improvement in the mechanical, physical and thermal stability of the prepared composites.