Fire resistance improvement of polypropylene using silica aerogel

One of the main weaknesses of polypropylene (PP) that limited its industrial applications is its flammability. Using aerogel as an additive is a way to improve the fire and thermal properties of engineering polymers. In this study, PP/silica aerogel composites were prepared and their fire properties were studied. PP/silica aerogel composites were prepared via melt compounding method using an internal mixer. The SEM images confirm the homogenous mixing of the components. Limiting oxygen index (LOI) showed that adding only 5% of silica aerogel can decrease considerably the flammability of PP