Thermal behavior and flame retardancy of flexible poly(vinyl chloride) treated with Al(OH)3 and ZnO

Al(OH)3 as flame retardant and smoke suppressant for flexible poly(vinyl chloride) was evaluated alone and with ZnO, using thermal analytical techniques, limiting oxygen index and smoke density rating tests. The thermal behavior and flammability of the samples treated with Al(OH)3 and ZnO were studied by differential thermal analysis and thermogravimetric analysis. The activation energy was calculated by using the Vyazovkin model‐free kinetic and Kissinger methods. The results showed that the flame‐retardant and smoke‐suppressant properties of the samples treated with Al(OH)3 and ZnO were related to the content of ZnO and the thermal effect during the process of thermal degradation of the samples. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry