Thermal and Flammability Properties of Polypropylene/Silica Aerogel Composites

Polypropylene (PP)/silica aerogel (SA) composites were prepared and their thermal and flammability properties were studied. The PP/SA composites with different weight percent were prepared via melt compounding method using an internal mixer. Their morphology, thermal conductivity, thermal stability and combustion behavior were characterized. The SEM images confirmed the homogenous mixing of the components. The measurement of the thermal conductivities of samples indicated that PP would be a better thermal barrier in the presence of SA. The thermal gravimetric analysis results showed that combining the silica aerogel particles into polypropylene increased the decomposition temperature. The resultant composites displayed improved flame retardancy with a significant reduction in the peak heat release rate and increase of limited oxygen index value. It can be concluded that the flame retardant mechanism of PP/SA composites is associated with two decisive factors: a coat-like char effect and a physical crosslinking effect.