Thermal Degradation of Epoxy Resins Containing Copper Compounds

A novel cheap macromolecular intumescent flame retardants (Cu-MIFR), was synthesized, and its structure was a caged bicyclic macromolecule containing phosphorus-copper characterized by IR. Epoxy resins (EP) were modified with Cu-MIFR to get the flame retardant EP, whose flammability and burning behavior were characterized by UL 94, limiting oxygen index (LOI), dilatation, char yield, smoke density rating (SDR) and maximum smoke density (MSD). The epoxy resins were obtained for the UL 94 V-0 rating at low Cu contents of 3.0 % get a LOI of 27.0% and char yield of 19.4%. Dilatation, SDR and MSD of EP/Cu-MIFR decreased. The degradation behavior of the EP/Cu-MIFR was studied by TG and EDX analysis. The experimental results exhibited that the initial decomposition temperature (IDT) was decreased, integral procedure decomposition temperature (IPDT) and amounts of Cu and P at the residue were increased.