Abstract
Three different boron‐containing substances—zinc borate (ZnB), borophosphate (BPO~4~), and a boron‐ and silicon‐containing oligomer (BSi)—were used to improve the flame retardancy of melamine in a polyamide 6 (PA‐6) matrix. The combustion and thermal degradation characteristics of PA‐6 composites were investigated with the limiting oxygen index (LOI), the UL‐94 standard, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A slight increase was seen in the LOI values of a sample containing BSi (1 wt %). BPO~4~ at high loadings showed a V0 rating (indicating the best flame retardancy) and slightly lower LOI values in comparison with samples with only melamine. For ZnB and BSi, glassy film and char formation decreased the dripping rate and sublimation of melamine, and this led to low LOIs. According to the TGA–FTIR results, the addition of boron compounds did not change the decomposition product distribution of melamine and PA‐6. The addition of boron compounds affected the flame retardancy by physical means. The TGA data showed that boron compounds and melamine reduced the decomposition temperature of PA‐6. According to the DSC data, the inclusion of boron compounds increased the onset temperature of sublimation of melamine and also affected the flame retardancy negatively. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010