Feasible approach to enhance inhibition performance of Mg-Al hydrotalcite on polyethylene dust explosion: Phytic-acid modification

A modification chemical inhibitor (phytic acid-modified Mg-Al hydrotalcite) was synthesized via using phytic acid to chelate metal ions. Mg-Al hydrotalcite was used as the base material, the phytic acid molecules were grafted onto the surface of Mg-Al hydrotalcite via self-assembly through coordination bonds. The effectiveness of phytic acid-modified Mg-Al hydrotalcite in the inhibition of polyethylene dust explosion was investigated. The results showed that phytic acid modification effectively upgraded the inhibition performance of original Mg-Al hydrotalcite. At the phytic acid-modified Mg-Al hydrotalcite inhibition ratio of 1.0, the reduction of maximum explosion pressure and maximum pressure rise rate increased by 21.51% and 26.83% respectively compared to original Mg-Al hydrotalcite. Combining the material characterization and thermal analysis, the inhibition mechanism of phytic acid-modified Mg-Al hydrotalcite on polyethylene dust explosion was deeply revealed. It is noticeable that phytic acid-modified Mg-Al hydrotalcite has a better chemical inhibition effect than original that. The research results provide a basis for preventing and controlling polyethylene dust explosion disasters, and offer a new insight for the development of novel explosion inhibition materials.