Properties of flame-retardant fillers in polypropylene/ethylene propylene diene monomer composites

Abstract

The incorporation of zinc hydroxy stannate (ZHS), calcium borates (CBs), and NP-100 as flame-retardant fillers in polypropylene (PP) ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) blends was investigated. The composites were prepared using an internal mixer and were molded using a compression mold to form test samples. Studies on the effect of filler loading (15, 30, 45, and 60 vol%) on the flame-retardant, thermal stability, and tensile properties were reviewed. A study on flame retardancy and thermal stability of ZHS, CB, and NP-100 fillers found that NP-100 has better flame retardancy compared with ZHS and CB even though NP-100 exhibits lower thermal stability compared with ZHS and CB. The mechanical properties of ZHS are the highest, followed by CB. NP-100 has the lowest mechanical properties. Tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and strain at break of 30 vol% ZHS are slightly higher compared with other loadings. In addition, 30 vol% CB has the highest mechanical properties for PP/EPDM/CB system but has slightly lower mechanical properties compared with 30 vol% ZHS-filled PP/EPDM composites.