Project Title: Molecular Design of Intrinsic Flame Retardant Polystyrene and Preparation and Flame Retardant Mechanism of the Nanocomposites

Principal Investigator: Prof. Hu Yuan

Funding Source: National Natural Science Foundation of China

Project Period: 2010-2013

Abstract:

Due to the low toughness and difficulty in halogen-free flame retardation for polystyrene resin, in this program, functional monomers with flame-retardant and toughening structures will be firstly synthesized. Considering the promising effects of some layered compounds, the novel flame-retardant polystyrene/layered compounds nanocomposites will be then prepared by in situ radical polymerization. The influences of different flame-retardant element, functional monomer and transition metal-containing montmorillonite on the thermal, mechanical and flame-retardant properties of polystyrene nanocomposites will be investigated. Moreover, the effects of ultraviolet light, temperature and humidity etc on the properties of nanocomposites will also be investigated. In order to elucidate the changes in the gas phase and condensed phase during the thermal degradation and combustion of the nanocomposites, the evolved gases and condensed products as well as the char formation, will be studied via a series of techniques. In terms of these investigations and techniques, the relationship between structure and property, the char formation mechanism, and the flame-retardant mechanism of the nanocomposites can be demonstrated, which could provide valuable and fundamental data for preparing polystyrene nanocomposites with excellent mechanical and flame-retardant properties.