Sulfamic acid-intercalated MgAl-LDH (SA-LDH) was prepared by an anion exchange method, and its structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). SA-LDH was introduced into polyamide 11 (PA11) by melt blending and to enhance the flame retardancy and mechanical properties. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and XRD data showed that the lamellar structure of SA-LDH was partly disrupted. The cone calorimeter (CCT) results demonstrated that SA-LDH could effectively decrease the value of heat release rate, which may be ascribed to the better distribution of SA-LDH compared to LHD in the PA11 matrix. The effects of SA-LDH on the crystal behaviors of PA11 were investigated by XRD and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), indicating that SA-LDH could induce the formation of new crystal forms and served as a heterogeneous nucleating agent. The mechanical progress caused by the incorporation of SA-LDH was correlated with compatibility improvement between SA-LDH and PA11.
Keywords: crystal behaviors; flammability; layered double hydroxides; polyamide 11.