Study on the Flame Retardant Property of Magnesium Hydroxide Whiskers/PE Composites

Abstract

The magnesium hydroxide (MH) whisker/PE composites were prepared by melt-extrusion with modified whiskers and unmodified whiskers as fillers respectively. The flame retardant property of composites was tested by the oxygen index machine. The magnesium hydroxide whiskers could improve the flame retardant property of the composites. When the contents of the modified and unmodified whiskers increased from 10% to 60%, the oxygen index of the composites increased from 24.4% to 43.4%, 23.2% to 40.2% respectively. The flame retardant of the modified whiskers/PE composites was better than the unmodified. The morphology of fracture was analyzed by SEM: the modified whisker could be more evenly divided into PE matrix with better dispersibility and compatibility, for that there occurred organic molecule membranes on the surface of the crystal whiskers after being modified, which lowered the interfacial energy of whiskers.