Clays basal spacings effect on fire retardancy of polymers by TG/DTA

In this study, poly (ethylene-co-butyl acrylate, EBA-30) samples containing an intumescent formulation of ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol and clays of different basal spacings had their flame retardant properties evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, and heating microscopy. Samples without polymeric matrix were also analyzed to observe possible interactions between the clays and the intumescent formulation. Thermal Analyses revealed that the basal spacings of the clays strongly influence their synergistic effect with the intumescent formulation studied.