A novel Co(Ⅱ)–based metal-organic framework with phosphorus-containing structure: Build for enhancing fire safety of epoxy

Co–based metal-organic framework with phosphorus-containing structure (P-MOF) was synthesized by a facile hydrothermal reaction and was first added into epoxy resin (EP) to enhance its fire safety, including flame retardancy, toxicity reduction, and smoke suppression. It was found that the values of peak heat release rate and total heat release of EP were decreased by 28% and 18.6% respectively at 2 wt% content of P-MOF. Meanwhile, the notable reductions of total smoke production and total CO yield were also observed from results of cone calorimeter and the steady state tube furnace, decreased by 15% and 52% respectively. Due to the absorption and catalytic effect of P-MOF and its residues, the release of organic volatiles and CO generated during the pyrolysis process of EP was significantly suppressed. Based on the analysis of gas and condensed phase, the possible mechanism of the enhanced fire safety was proposed as the combination of the adsorption and catalytic effect of P-MOF, which provides a promising application of MOFs to enhance the fire safety of polymer materials.