Synthesis of multifunctional Sb2MoO6 nanoflakes for boosting the fire safety and mechanical strength of ABS resin

To reduce the fire hazard of acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene (ABS), the Sb₂MoO₆ (AM) nanosheets were successfully prepared by a simple hydrothermal method using SbCl₃ and NaMoO₄·2H₂O as Sb and Mo sources, respectively. At different loading levels (0–10 wt%), the Sb₂MoO₆ nanoflakes can be uniformly dispersed in the ABS matrix. Compared with pure ABS, the tensile strength of ABS/AM10 composite with 10 wt% of AM increased by 13%, indicative of the reinforcement effect of AM. Moreover, the introduction of AM did not reduce the initial decomposition temperature of ABS composites, but significantly increased the residue at 600 °C, demonstrating the improved carbonization. AM effectively improved the fire safety of ABS, and 5 and 10 wt% of it decreased the peak heat release rate (PHRR) of ABS/AM5 and ABS/AM10 by 19.7% and 32.9%, respectively. The peak smoke production rate (PSPR) of ABS/AM10 was reduced by 32.4% relative to that of ABS. The improved fire safety of ABS/AM composites was mainly attributed to the physical barrier effect of Sb₂MoO₆ nanosheets. Therefore, this work proposes a feasible approach for the preparation of fire-retardant and strong ABS composites based on metal-oxide nanomaterials.