Thermal degradation and flammability properties of HDPE/EVA/C60 nanocomposites

The thermal and flame retardancy properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE)/ethylene vinyl-acetate copolymer (EVA)/fullerene (C60) nanocomposites were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and cone calorimetry with C60 loading varied from 0.5 to 2% by mass fraction. Dispersion of C60 in HDPE/EVA blend was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). TGA and DSC results showed that the presence of C60 could remarkably enhance the thermal stability, and cone calorimeter measurements indicated that incorporating C60 could result in a significant reduction in the peak heat release rate and a much longer time to ignition of the HDPE/EVA blend. Furthermore, the larger the C60 loading level, the better the flame retardancy of HDPE/EVA/C60 nanocomposites.