Flammability Characteristics and Performance of Flame-Retarded Epoxy Composite Based on Melamine Cyanurate and Ammonium Polyphosphate

The flammability characteristics and thermal performance of epoxy compounds containing ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and melamine cyanurate (MCA) were studied by LOI, UL-94, TG, FTIR and SEM. The compounds containing 12 wt% APP and 3 wt% MCA can pass V-0 in the UL-94 test, while neat EP can't pass any rating. The SEM images show that dense and compact multicellular char residues are produced on the surface of the test bars after combustion, while Fourier transform infrared spectra confirm a phosphorus char resulting from the presence of APP and MCA. TGA results illustrate that the thermal stability of EP/4APP:MCA at high temperature was noteworthy and leaves about 17.1% residue at 800°C. The use of APP together with MCA is better than using either APP or MCA alone.