Phosphorus-free hyperbranched polyborate flame retardant: Ultra-high strength and toughness, reduced fire hazards and unexpected transparency for epoxy resin

The design of high transparent epoxy resins (EPs) with excellent flame retardancy and mechanical strength is still intractable, while the current use of phosphorus-based flame retardant usually destroys the transparency and color of EPs. This work reports a phosphorus-free hyperbranched polyborate (HBPB) as a multifunctional flame retardant additive for EPs. The HBPB was synthesized via a facile, one-pot, solvent- and catalyst-free polycondensation with branched aliphatic backbone and borate group, which features good compatibility within resin matrix and does not affect its curing processability. Compared to neat EP, the as-constructed EP composite with 9% addition of HBPB displays the high fire resistance (30.2% LOI value and UL-94 V0 rating), and the fire hazards such as smoke, heat and toxic gases release are significantly reduced without introducing phosphorus group. Surprisingly, the EP material can well maintain its high transparency and color with ultra-high toughness (21.38–40.50 kJ m−2) and flexural strength (137.03–197.08 MPa) achieved, especially the glass-transition temperature can be improved from 150 °C to 170 °C, making it superior to previously described counterparts. Highlighting the compelling results, this work provides a promising candidate on seeking the halogen-free solutions to alleviate the high price of phosphorus-based FRs, and paves a useful strategy toward designing high transparent, high-performance polymeric materials.