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), H-1 and P-31 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 T-g 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.