Synthesis and characterization of SPDSCD and its flame retardant application on epoxy resins

In this study, a flame retardant agent, 2,4,8,10-tetraoxo-3,9-diphosphospiro[5.5]undecane spirophosphate-4,4-diaminopair benzene disulfone-1,3,5-himetriazine (SPDSCD), is synthesized through a direct polycondensation reaction. SPDSCD is a chemically expanded phosphorus-containing flame retardant in epoxy resins (EP). The molecular structure of SPDSCD and thermal stability are characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis, and EP/SPDSCD composites were investigated in detail. These properties are associated with the phosphorus-containing spiro structure on the main molecular chain which can promote condensation polymerization into carbon during pyrolysis, the new nitrogen-containing carbon source, and the triazine structure. SPDSCD shows good thermal stability and low flammability, the weight loss from 500 to 800 °C was only 6.1 wt%, and the residual mass at 800 °C was 48.9 wt%. With the addition of SPDSCD, the flame retardant quality of the composites was gradually enhanced, the carbon residue becomes denser, which isolates heat transfer and inhibits the volatilization of flue gas. The addition of 20 wt% SPDSCD in the EP sample was associated with a limited oxygen index (LOI) value of 26% and a vertical burning V-0 rating. Cone calorimeter test shows that the peak heat release rate is reduced by 75%; the heat release rate curve enters the heat release platform area with a value lower than the first peak, TSP is reduced by 24%, the ac-CO₂Y value reduced by 25.6%, indicating that SPDSCD/EP produced less CO₂, which obviously prevented the combustion of volatile gas. SPDSCD exerted a charring and barrier effect in the condensation phase. Using basic characterization and flame retardancy testing, this work determined that SPDSCD has good flame retardancy when added to EP.

In this study, a flame retardant agent, 2,4,8,10-tetraoxo-3,9-diphosphospiro[5.5]undecane spirophosphate-4,4-diaminopair benzene disulfone-1,3,5-himetriazine (SPDSCD), is synthesized through a direct polycondensation reaction.

Recent Developments in the Flame-Retardant System of Epoxy Resin

With the increasing emphasis on environmental protection, the development of flame retardants for epoxy resin (EP) has tended to be non-toxic, efficient, multifunctional and systematic. Currently reported flame retardants have been capable of providing flame retardancy, heat resistance and thermal stability to EP. However, many aspects still need to be further improved. This paper reviews the development of EPs in halogen-free flame retardants, focusing on phosphorus flame retardants, carbon-based materials, silicon flame retardants, inorganic nanofillers, and metal-containing compounds. These flame retardants can be used on their own or in combination to achieve the desired results. The effects of these flame retardants on the thermal stability and flame retardancy of EPs were discussed. Despite the great progress on flame retardants for EP in recent years, further improvement of EP is needed to obtain numerous eco-friendly high-performance materials.

Synthesis of a phosphorus–nitrogen-containing flame retardant and its application in epoxy resin

In this article, a phosphorus–nitrogen-containing flame retardant (DOPO-T) was successfully synthesized by nucleophilic substitution reaction between 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) and cyanuric chloride. The chemical structure of DOPO-T was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and phosphorous-31 NMR, and elemental analysis. DOPO-T was then blended with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A to prepare flame-retardant epoxy resins. Thermal properties, flame retardancy, and combustion behavior of the cured epoxy resins were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, limited oxygen index (LOI) measurement, UL94 vertical burning test, and cone calorimeter test. The results indicated that the glass transition temperature ( Tg) and temperature at 5% weight loss of epoxy resin (EP)/DOPO-T thermosets were gradually decreased with the increasing content of DOPO-T. DOPO-T catalyzed the decomposition of EP matrix in advance. The flame-retardant performance of EP thermosets was significantly enhanced with the addition of DOPO-T. EP/DOPO-T-0.9 sample had an LOI value of 36.2% and achieved UL94 V-1 rating. In addition, the average of heat release rate, peak of heat release rate, average of effective heat of combustion, and total heat release (THR) of EP/DOPO-T-0.9 sample were decreased by 32%, 48%, 23%, and 31%, respectively, compared with the neat EP sample. Impressively, EP/DOPO-T thermosets acquired excellent flame retardancy under low loading of flame retardant.

A novel curing agent based on diphenylphosphine oxide for flame-retardant epoxy resin

A phosphorous/nitrogen-containing diphenylphosphine oxide (DPO) derivative (DPO-SS) was designed and synthesized via a two-step reaction of 4,4′-diaminodiphenylsulfone, 2-hydroxy-benzaldehyde, and DPO. The structure of DPO-SS was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), 1H and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry (MS). DPO-SS was used as a flame retardant and curing agent for copolymerizing with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A. Thermal and flame-retardant properties of the obtained flame-retardant epoxy resin (F-EP) were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic thermomechanical analysis, limited oxygen index (LOI) measurement, vertical burning test (UL-94), and cone calorimeter test. Results indicated that all F-EP samples exhibited excellent thermal stability and flame-retardant property. Especially for F-EP with P content of 0.7 wt% (denoted as EP/P-0.7), it achieved high LOI values (32.4%) and UL-94 V-0 rating. Compared with pure EP, all F-EP samples showed lower heat release rate, total heat release, total smoke produce, and little Tg fluctuation. In order to study the flame-retardant mechanism, the char residues were investigated by FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive spectrometer analysis. The results manifested that DPO-SS acted as flame retardant in both gas phase and condensed phase. Water absorption properties of pure EP and F-EP were also compared through immersion experiments. Results showed that EP/P-0.7 sample had apparently lower water absorptivity than pure EP.