Preparation of a novel heat stabilizer for poly(vinyl chloride)‐Zn,Mg, Al‐layered double hydroxide

A new zinc‐magnesium‐aluminum‐layered double hydroxide (ZnMgAl‐LDH) was prepared by one‐step coprecipitation using agents extracted from waste residue and intercalated with stearate anions. The X‐ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectra show that the stearate anions have successfully intercalated into the interlayer of ZnMgAl‐LDH. The scanning electron microscopy shows the typical sand‐rose morphology of LDH. The enhanced thermal stability was confirmed by Congo red test. The poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC)/ZnMgAl‐LDH‐stearate nanocomposites have much more thermal stability time than PVC and PVC/ZnMgAl‐LDH composites. Thermal stability time of PVC containing 8 wt% ZnMgAl‐LDH‐stearate loading is 12 times of that of pure PVC. The tensile strength of the nanocomposites increases with the increase of ZnMgAl‐stearate content and exhibits excellent mechanical properties. POLYM. COMPOS., 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers