Effect of surfactant types on particle size and morphology of flame-retardant zinc borate powder

Zinc borate is a boron-containing chemical material that is used to increase the flame retardancy of polymeric materials, dyes, cables, fabrics, carpets, and the internal parts of automobiles and planes. Commercially used zinc borate, which has the formula of 2ZnO·3B2O3·7H2O, has a particle size between 10 and 20 μm. However, recent studies have shown that nanosized flame retardants have more superior flame retardancy and less negative effects on mechanical properties than microsized flame retardants. Nanosized flame retardants disperse more homogeneously and even low quantities are sufficient to provide high flame resistance. In this study, nano zinc borate powder was synthesized by a wet chemical method and the effects of nonionic, anionic, and cationic surfactants on the particle size and morphology of the zinc borate particles were investigated. Chemical purity and physical structures of the synthesized zinc borate powder were analyzed by XRD, FTIR, TG-DTA, TEM, and Zetasizer. The analysis results showed that the zinc borate powder had a chemical formula of 2ZnO·3B2O3·7H2O. TEM and Zetasizer results indicated that the nano zinc borate powder, which had nanoscale particle size distribution with needle- and flake-like structures, was synthesized using nonionic, anionic, and cationic surfactants.