Semiaromatic polyamide poly(hexamethylene terephthalamide)‐co‐polycaprolactam: Thermal and flame‐retardant properties

• Published in: Journal of applied polymer science Vol. 135; no. 29
• Main Authors: Peng, Wei‐Ming, Tong, Xin, Zhang, Mei‐Lin, Wang, Xiao‐Jun, Zhang, Gang, Long, Sheng‐Ru, Yang, Jie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 05.08.2018
• Subjects: Aluminum; applications; Chemical synthesis; Composite materials; copolymers; Enthalpy; Extrusion; flame retardance; Glass fibers; Heat measurement; Materials science; mechanical properties; Polyamide resins; Polymers; Scanning electron microscopy; thermal properties; Thermodynamic properties; Thermogravimetric analysis; Visual observation
• ISSN: 0021-8995; 1097-4628
• DOI: 10.1002/app.46451

ABSTRACT The poly(hexamethylene terephthalamide)‐co‐polycaprolactam (PA6T/6; 50:50) copolymer was synthesized with a reactive extrusion method and subsequently mixed with a certain content of glass fibers (GFs) and different ratios of flame‐retardant aluminum diethyl phosphinate (AlPi) to fabricate a series of composites. These resulting composites were found to have excellent mechanical (tensile strength = 119–154 MPa) and thermal properties (heat‐deflection temperature = 263–293 °C). It is particularly worth mentioning that the value of the limiting oxygen index reached 29.5% and a UL‐94 V‐0 rating (1.6 mm) was achieved with the addition of 20 portions of AlPi. Also, the values of the peak heat‐release rate and total heat release in cone calorimetry were found to decrease with the addition of the flame‐retardant AlPi, which acted mainly as a flame inhibitor in the gas phase. Through visual observation, scanning electron microscopy after cone calorimetry testing, and thermogravimetric analysis, the condensed‐phase flame‐retardant mechanism of the PA6T/6–GF–AlPi system was confirmed to have a synergetic role. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46451.