Electrophoretic deposition of inorganic-organic nanocomposites

Abstract

With many processing advantages, electrophoretic deposition (EPD) has been chosen as the fabrication technique for inorganic-organic nanocomposites. However, before the EPD process, avoiding the particles agglomeration is considered a necessary perquisite for the success of fabrication. In this research, two different liquid-liquid extraction methods, one is one-step and the other is two-step, were developed to solve the agglomeration problem of inorganic particles. The adsorption mechanisms of the extractors and extraction mechanisms were investigated during this work. The strong adsorptions provided by –OH groups of the extractors and further Schiff base reaction allowed for the process of extraction. In the fabrication, polyelectrolytes acted as the film forming and charging agents. Relatively stable suspensions with extracted inorganic particles were prepared for the EPD of inorganic-organic nanocomposites. The thickness of deposited films is proportional to the concentration of the suspension and deposition time. With the addition of flame retardant inorganic particles, the prepared nanocomposite films showed an enhanced flame retardant performance.