Epoxy resins possessing flame retardant elements from silicon incorporated epoxy compounds cured with phosphorus or nitrogen containing curing agents

New silicon-containing epoxy compounds were obtained by reacting a bisphenol-A type epoxy and an o-cresol-formaldehyde novolac type epoxy with diphenylsilandiol and triphenylsilanol, respectively. The reactions were performed with tin(II) chloride as a catalyst at 140-170 degreesC. With various feeding ratios of reactants, the epoxy compounds contained various silicon contents. The thermal stability and the flame retardant property of the cured epoxy resins were improved with this incorporation of silicon. Synergistic effects of phosphorus/silicon and nitrogen/silicon on enhancing limited oxygen index values were also observed for the epoxy resins from the silicon-containing epoxy compounds cured with phosphorus- and melamine-containing agents. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.