Ethylene‐VInyl acetate/LDH nanocomposites with enhanced thermal stability, flame retardancy, and rheological property

In this contribution, ethylene‐vinyl acetate (EVA)/Zn₂Al‐X layered double hydroxides (LDHs) nanocomposites containing different interlayer anions including CO₃^2–, NO₃^–, Cl^–, SO₄^2– were synthesized using solvent mixing method for the first time. The influence of the interlayer anions of LDHs on the thermal stability, flame retardancy, and rheological behaviors of these nanocomposites were investigated in detail. The results indicated that both the thermal stability and the flame retardancy could be significantly enhanced, and the extent was highly dependent on the type of interlayer anions that were intercalated in LDHs. The influence of different anions on the storage and loss moduli followed the order of SO₄^2– > NO₃^– > CO₃^2– > Cl^–, suggesting that the interlayer anions significantly affect the rheological behaviors of the nanocomposites as well. This work is of great importance to both the academic and industrial fields since it demonstrated that a proper selection of the interlayer anions and an optimization of the chemical composition are crucial for the practical application of such nanocomposites. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:3449–3459, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers