Fire Retardancy of Polystyrene Nanocomposites Using Naphthenate-Containing Clays

Polystyrene (PS) clay nanocomposites have been prepared both by bulk polymerization and melt blending (MB) processes using naphthenate-containing (Np) organically-modified clays. The number of alkyl chains was varied from 1-3 and the dispersion of the clay in the polymer was determined both by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Thermal stability was probed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and the fire properties were evaluated using the cone calorimeter. As the number of long alkyl chains on the ammonium cation increases, it becomes more difficult for polymer to enter the gallery space and one cannot obtain good nano-dispersion and the fire retardancy is not enhanced