Effects of triphenyl phosphate on styrene suspension polymerization process and flame retardance properties of polystyrene/triphenyl phosphate nanocomposite

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Web End = Colloid Polym Sci (2016) 294:11531163

DOI 10.1007/s00396-016-3872-0

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Effects of triphenyl phosphate on styrene suspension polymerization process and flame retardance properties of polystyrene/triphenyl phosphate nanocomposite

Cunwei Zhang1,2 & Xiangmei Li1 & Rongjie Yang1 & Yanhua Lan1

Received: 7 March 2016 /Accepted: 8 April 2016 /Published online: 25 April 2016 # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016

Abstract Preparation of polystyrene nanocomposites containing flame retardants is difficult to achieve in one step by suspension polymerization. Styrene suspension polymerization was studied to determine the effects of the flame retardant on the polymerization process and properties of polystyrene beads. Triphenyl phosphate (TPP) was used in this work, which can dissolve completely in styrene monomers. The results showed that TPP were nanosized spherical particles, distributed homogenously and uniformly in a polystyrene (PS) matrix, and the formation mechanism of TPP nanoparticles was also investigated. In addition, the effects of TPP on the styrene polymerization process were investigated. With TPP amount increasing, the polymerization time increased significantly; molecular weight of PS nano-composites also decreased and molecular weight distribution became wide; the particle size distribution (PSD) of the PS nanocomposites became wider than pure PS slightly as the particle size decreased. PS/TPP nanocomposites obtained good flame retardance because of nanodispersed TPP particles in its matrix. In a word, the suspension polymerization method provides a facile approach to prepare PS/TPP nanocomposites with better properties.

Keywords Polystyrene nanocomposite . Suspension polymerization . Polymerization process . Flame retardance

Introduction

Polystyrene (PS) is a thermoplastic with thermal insulation, low density, good dimensional stability, electrical insulation performance, convenience of processing, and excellent mechanical properties, which are widely used in fields such as packaging, electronic casing, decoration, transportation, insulators, and construction. However, polystyrene is very flammable and causes severe melt-dripping during combustion which greatly limits its application [1]. In order to solve the problem, some halogen-containing and halogen-free flame retardants have been used to obtain flame-retarded PS with desired flame retarded properties [29].

In general, flame-retarded polystyrene is prepared by the melt extrusion method. Many commercial flame retardants, such as magnesium hydrate (MH), aluminum hydroxide (ATH), expandable...