Effects of milling on the thermal stability of synthetic hydromagnesite

Hydromagnesite is a basic magnesium carbonate that undergoes an endothermic decomposition with water and carbon dioxide release in the temperature range of 200–550 °C. Due to this thermal behaviour it has been studied as flame retardant filler for polymers in cable applications. For this purpose the particle size distribution should be optimized, as it is in most cases responsible for decrease in final composite mechanical properties. This work describes the variations found in the thermal behaviour of hydromagnesite associated with the process of particle size reduction. Air jet micronization was compared with mechanical milling. Thermogravimetry and differential scanning calorimetry were used to study thermal decomposition. FTIR spectroscopy and XRD analysis of the solid residue after heating were used to follow structural changes. Decomposition behaviour of synthetic hydromagnesite was shown to be dependent of the applied particle size reduction process. A remarkable increase in the decomposition rate was observed for the milled sample, which was attributed to the introduction of defects in the crystalline structure during the mechanical milling. Therefore, it was concluded that the mechanical milling process may affect the thermal decomposition of hydromagnesite and therefore its characteristics as flame retardant.