UV stabilizer intercalated layered double hydroxide to enhance the thermal and UV degradation resistance of polypropylene fiber

Polypropylene (PP) fiber is widely used in construction, transportation, automobile, textile, electronic and electrical appliances, chemical industry, and other fields; however, its nonresistance to UV degradation must be further studied. Herein, 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone-5-sulfonic acid (UVSA) anion was inserted into zinc-aluminum-layered double hydroxide (ZnAl-LDH) by coprecipitation, and the organic-inorganic synergistic UV-stabilized material UVSA-LDH was successfully synthesized. Furthermore, a new UVSA-LDH/PP fiber with UV aging resistance was prepared by adding UVSA-LDH to the PP matrix through the melt spinning method. The insertion of UVSA improved the ultraviolet absorption of ZnAl-LDH, and the existence of LDH laminates inhibited the thermal degradation of organic UVSA. Moreover, the addition of UVSA-LDH greatly enhanced the thermal stability and UV aging degradation resistance of PP fiber. As expected, compared with pure PP fiber, the thermal decomposition temperature of 3 wt% UVSA-LDH/PP composite fiber increased by 38 °C, and the fiber strength retention was as high as 94.56% after aging for 6 days. Therefore, this organic-inorganic synergistic UVSA-LDH has potential application prospect as a UV-stabilized material for PP fiber.