FLAME RETARDANCY AND SMOKE SUPPRESSION IN A TERTIARY POLYMER BLEND

This paper deals with the effects which basic iron(III) Oxide has on the flammability, smoke production, char formation, rate of heat release and thermal stability in a specific blend of three polymers-ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and PP (polypropylene). The iron compound when incorporated in modest amounts strongly modifies the thermal degradation processes which occur. The data are briefly compared to previous results obtained for the two-polymer blend of ABS and PVC. Incorporating polypropylene into the ABS/PVC system has significant effects on flammability and smoke production. Stabilisation of the polymer system by the iron compound is confirmed by experiment and it is one of the very few additives available today which exerts a flame retarding/smoke suppressing effect via a char forming mechanism.