Magnesium Hydroxide nanoparticles find application in a number of industries, mainly as flame retardants in the cable and wire industries.
Most flame retardant coatings such as ammonium polyphosphate and melamine lose their effective fire resistance because of their reduced mechanical properties and reduced char formation in fire and hence get easily detached from the substrate. The mechanical and chemical properties of flame retardant coatings can be improved by incorporating nanoscale magnesium a hydroxides. There is also an improvement in the fire resistance and char formation properties of the coatings.
Other applications include:
• Non-hazardous alkali to neutralise acidic wastewaters
• Refractory agent for furnace linings
• High-temperature dehydrating agents
• High-frequency magnetic-rod antenna additives
• Magnetic device fillers
• Groundwater studies in the removal of borate and as a solid phase extraction sorbent to determine the presence of benzo[a]pyrene
• Fuel additives
• Textiles
• Ceramics
• Glass
• Pharmaceuticals
• Anti-bacterial additives
• Magnesium oxide nanoparticles dispersed in alcohol have been reported to inhibit hydrolytic and oxidative degradation of paper documents
• Destructive adsorbent for toxic chemical agents.
Most manufacturers of magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles are based in China and the United States. These regions account for the majority of the market for NanoMg(OH)2. Market drivers include growing demand in refractory materials, flame retardants and fiber glass. Companies producing these nanomaterials include AVANZARE Innovacion Tecnologica S.L. (www.avanzare.es) who produce magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles with lamellar morphology, that can be used as fire retardants in manufacture of free-halogen flame retardant wire and cable. Other suppliers include Sigma-Aldrich (www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/aldrich/632309?lang=en®ion=GB), US Research Nanomaterials, Inc. (www.us-nano.com/inc/sdetail/245), American Elements (www.americanelements.com/mghynp.html), SkySpring Nanomaterials, Inc. (http://ssnano.com/inc/sdetail/magnesium_hydroxide_nanoparticles/590 ), Eprui Nanoparticles and Microspheres Co. (www.nanoparticles-microspheres.com/Products/Nano-MgO.html) , Alpha Nanomaterials, LLC (www.alphananomaterials.com/product_info.php?c=6 ), Beijing DK Nano technology Co. Ltd. (www.nanoinglobal.com/en/index.asp), American International Chemical, Inc. (www.aicma.com), Inframat (www.inframat.com), Martin Marietta Magnesia Specialties Inc (www.magnesiaspecialties.com), Nabond (www.nabond.com), Nanjing High Technology of Nano Material Co., Ltd. (www.htnano.com/doce/jj.htm), Reade (www.reade.com) and Nanoscale Corporation (www.nanoscalecorp.com).
