Synthesis of Nanoplatelet Zinc Borate and its Combination with Expandable Graphite and Red Phosphorus as Flame Retardants for Polypropylene

The zinc borate nanoparticles (2ZnO.3B2O3.3H2O) were successfully prepared by precipitation reaction in aqueous solutions of borax and zinc sulfate using oleic acid as a surfactant. The structural, morphological characteristics and the wettability of the particle surface were studied through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and the contact angle.