Flammability and thermal degradation behaviors of phosphorus‐containing copolyester/BaSO4 nanocomposites

A novel phosphorus‐containing copolyester (PET‐co‐DDP)/barium sulfate (BaSO4) nanocomposite was synthesized by in situ polymerization. The oxygen index values of the resulting nanocomposites decreased with increasing the content of BaSO4 nanoparticles, but their antidripping behaviors were improved obviously through the UL‐94 test. The flammability tests based on the cone calorimetry showed that the introduction of nano‐BaSO4 to the copolyester decreased remarkably the heat release rate and effective heat of combustion. The thermal oxidative decomposition behaviors of PET‐co‐DDP/BaSO4 nanocomposites were studied by a conventional dynamic thermogravimetric analysis in a flowing air atmosphere with a heating rate of 20°C/min. The activation energies determined from Kissinger method, Flynn‐Wall‐Ozawa method, and Friedman method had a same variation trend.