Synthesis of a copper hydroxystannate modified graphene oxide nanohybrid and its high performance in flexible polyvinyl chloride with simultaneously improved flame retardancy, smoke suppression and mechanical properties

Abstract

A copper hydroxystannate (CHS) modified graphene oxide (GO) nanohybrid (CGO) was synthesized through one step in-situ technique, and characterized by transmission electronic microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, X-ray diffractometer, etc. Flexible polyvinyl chloride (FPVC) containing CGO demonstrates remarkable mechanical, thermal and flame retardant properties. FPVC with 2 wt% CGO (sample FPVC/2CGO) achieves V0 rating in the UL-94 test with a limiting oxygen index of 26.5%. The cone calorimeter test results exhibit that the peak heat release rate, total smoke release, carbon monoxide production rate and carbon dioxide production rate of sample FPVC/2CGO were reduced by 44.5%, 20.4%, 29.6% and 45.3%, respectively in comparison with the ones of pure FPVC. Moreover, the tensile strength and the elongation at break of sample FPVC/2CGO are higher than the ones of pure FPVC.