Effects of polyethyleneimine-functionalized MCM-41 on flame retardancy and thermal stability of polyvinyl alcohol

Hyperbranched polyethylenimine（PEI）-functionalized mesoporous silica（MCM@PEI） was synthesized and used to produce poly（vinyl alcohol）（PVA） nanocomposites.The modified nanofiller was characterized with infrared spectroscopy,thermogravimetric analysis,X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,transmission electron microscopy,and N2 adsorption.When compared with pure mesoporous silica（MCM）,the MCM@PEI nanoparticles exhibited better dispersion in the PVA matrix.The effects of MCM@PEI on the thermal and flame properties of PVA nanocomposites were also studied.Improvement in the thermal properties was confirmed by enhanced thermal stability and char yield.Incorporation of MCM@PEI in PVA led to a significant drop in the heat release rate and the total heat release.