A P/N‐containing flame retardant constructed by phosphaphenanthrene, phosphonate, and triazole and its flame retardant mechanism in reducing fire hazards of epoxy resin

Abstract A P/N‐containing flame retardant (PPT) constructed by phosphaphenanthrene, phosphonate, and triazole groups was successfully synthesized and used as a reactive co‐curing agent for epoxy resin (EP). The curing behavior, thermal property, combustion behavior, and flame retardant mechanism of EP thermosets were comprehensively investigated. According to the analysis of DSC and TGA, PPT accelerated the crosslinking reaction and enhanced the charring ability for EP thermosets at high temperature. The results of combustion test indicated that PPT endowed epoxy thermoset with outstanding flame retardancy. When the phosphorus content was 0.71 wt%, EP/DDS/PPT‐2 achieved a LOI value of 33.2% and passed V‐0 rating in UL‐94 test, and its peak heat release rate and total heat release were decreased by 63.7 and 30.5%, respectively, relative to EP/DDS. Moreover, the FIGRA of EP/DDS/PPT‐2 was reduced from 9.7 to 3.5 kW m −2 s −1 , manifesting the significantly improved fire safety of EP thermoset. The flame retardant mechanism was summarized as two parts: (a) the barrier effect of continuous phosphorus‐rich char layers in condensed phase, (b) the quenching effect of phosphorous radicals and diluting effect of nonflammable gases in gaseous phase.