Novel flame retardant thermosets from nitrogen‐containing and phosphorus‐containing epoxy resins cured with dicyandiamide

A novel phosphorus‐containing epoxy resin (EPN‐D) was prepared by addition reaction of 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene 10‐oxide (DOPO) and epoxy phenol‐ formaldehyde novolac resin (EPN). The reaction was monitored by epoxide equivalent weight (EEW) titration, and its structure was confirmed by FTIR and NMR spectra. Halogen‐free epoxy resins containing EPN‐D resin and a nitrogen‐containing epoxy resin (XT resin) were cured with dicyandiamide (DICY) to give new halogen‐free epoxy thermosets. Thermal properties of these thermosets were studied by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), thermal mechanical analyzer (TMA) and thermal‐gravimetric analysis (TGA). They exhibited very high glass transition temperatures (Tgs, 139–175°C from DSC, 138–155°C from TMA and 159–193°C from DMA), high thermal stability with Td,5 wt % over 300°C when the weight ratio of XT/EPN‐D is ≥1. The flame‐retardancy of these thermosets was evaluated by limiting oxygen index (LOI) and UL‐94 vertical test. The thermosets containing isocyanurate and DOPO moieties showed high LOI (32.7–43.7) and could achieve UL‐94 V‐0/V‐1 grade. Isocyanurate and DOPO moieties had an obvious synergistic effect on the improvement of the flame retardancy.