Thermal analysis and flammability of polymers Effect of halogen-metal additive systems

✍ Scribed by M.M. Hirschler

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 478 KB
• Volume: 19
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-3057
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-3057(83)90025-3

✦ Synopsis

ANtract--Thermal analyses have been carried out on systems containing a thermoplastic polymer (ABS or HDPE), a halogenated hydrocarbon (decabromobiphenyl or a chlorinated wax) and one or two metal-containing compounds. The results were compared with flammability measurements on the same systems, as determined by limiting oxygen index. Thermal analyses of the additives on their own has shown the extent to which the metal compounds are volatilised as their metal halides, thus indicating their possible similarity to the mechanism of flame-retardant action of antimony oxide. Such results are shown to be misleading in terms of providing an indication of flame-retardant efficiency. However it is possible to obtain meaningful correlations between the information obtained from thermal analysis of complete systems, i.e. including the polymeric substrate, and comprehensive studies (e.g. by triangular diagrams) of the flammability.