Intumescent-flame-retarded polypropylene (PP-IFR) composites were prepared by the incorporation of methyl hydrogen siloxane treated ammonium polyphosphate and dipentaerythritol in a twin-screw extruder. The effects of zeolite (Z), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene on the flame retardancy, mechanical properties, and thermal stability of PP-IFR were investigated. The addition of Z and CNT promoted the flame retardancy of PP-IFR, and the highest limited oxygen index was 35.6%, obtained on PP-M-IFR-2–Z, for which the heat-release rate, total heat release, and smoke production rate based on cone calorimetry analyses decreased by 45.0, 51.0, and 66.3%, respectively, in comparison with those values of the PP-IFR composites. Additionally, scanning electron microscopy analyses showed that there was a good interface interaction between the polypropylene matrix and additives. The flexural, tensile, and impact strengths of the PP-IFR composites were improved significantly with the incorporation of CNT. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 42875.

A range of different nitrophenol derivatives were converted in one-pot to the corresponding secondary alkyl aminophenols in good to excellent yields by using ketones as alkyl source and hydrogen over 10 wt% Pd/C as reducing agent. In all examples, except for one, the secondary amine was the sole alkylation product isolated. When aldehydes were used as alkyl source, the corresponding tertiary amine as a sole alkylation product was isolated.

Melamine salt of tripentaerythriol phosphate (MTP), as a new intumescent flame-retardant, was prepared from tripentaerythritol (TPE), polyphosphoric acid, phosphoric pentoxide, and melamine, and then incorporated into polypropylene (PP) to obtain flame-retarded PP-MTP. FT-IR analysis showed that MTP was in the form of cage structure. The flammability, combustion behavior, and thermal degradation and stability of flame-retarded PP were characterized by using LOI, UL-94 test, cone calorimetry, and TGA, respectively. By SEM, the char structure of PP-MTP was analyzed. XRD diffraction tests showed that PP-matrix of PP-MTP presented better crystallized phases, when MTP was modified by methyl hydrogen siloxane. The relations of the dispersion of MTP in PP matrix to the compatibility between PP and MTP, and to the flame retardancy were discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.