Flame retardant polypropylene copolymer and EVA blends filled with micro- and nanoparticles of magnesium hydroxide

Magnesium hydroxide (MDH) is an inexpensive inorganic flame retardant agent that has been increasingly used to replace conventional halogen-containing flame retardants in polymers. In this work, the effects of combination of micro-sized MDH particles (mMDH) with different morphologies and nano-sized MDH particles (mMDH) on flame retardant and mechanical properties of random polypropylene copolymer/EVA blends were studied. The results demonstrated that the morphology of mMDH particles also plays an important role on flame retardant properties mechanisms of the polymer. Issues concerning with the initial endothermic decomposition stage of the mMDH particles are crucial in the final flame retardant property of the composites