Study on effect of polydimethylsiloxane in intumescent flame retardant polypropylene

The effect of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) in intumescent flame retarded polypropylene (PP) containing melamine phosphate (MP) was studied using limiting oxygen index (LOI), UL-94 test, thermogravimetric analysis (TG), real time Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and pyrolysis/gas chromatogram/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). It was found that the addition of PDMS into the PP/MP composites leads to a decrease in the LOI values of the PP/MP/PDMS composites, and the values increase gradually with the increase of the PDMS content. The UL-94 test results indicate that the PP/MP/PDMS composite with 30% PDMS reaches the V-0 rating compared with no rating of the PP/MP composite at the same MP loading. The water resistance of the PP/MP/PDMS composites was investigated, and the improved water leaching of MP was observed. The TG and RTFTIR results illustrate the thermal stability of the PP/MP composites containing PDMS is improved. Moreover, the pyrolysis of the PP/MP/PDMS composites was studied by the Py-GC/MS method.