• Elastomers and Composites
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.316-325
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• 2003

The blends of waste-polyethylene (W-PE)/waste-ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer (W-EVA) with inorganic and phosphorous flame retardants (i.e., aluminium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, and so on) were prepared by melt mixing techniques at different compositions and foamed. The flame retardancy and foaming properties of the blends, limiting oxygen index (LOI), heat release rate (HRR), carbon monoxide yield (COY), total heat release (THR), effective heat of combustion (EHC), expandability and cell structure were investigated using cone calorimeter, SEM, LOI tester and polarizing microscope. When the composition ratios of the W-PE/W-EVA blends were 50/50 (w/w), and the ranges of the flame retardants contents were $175{\sim}220 phr$, we could obtain foams with the uniform and closed cell, high expandability (1900 % or more), high LOI, and low HRR values. These results depend on crosslinking and loaming conditions, a char formation and smoke suppressing effect. Aluminium hydroxide had more effect in the increase of LOI than magnesium hydroxide, while magnesium hydroxide considerably affected the decrease of HRR and COY.