Flame‐retardant epoxy resins with high glass‐transition temperatures from a novel trifunctional curing agent: Dopotriol

A novel phosphorus‐containing trifunctional novolac (dopotriol) was synthesized through the addition reaction of 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene 10‐oxide and rosolic acid. The structure of dopotriol was confirmed with NMR spectroscopy and elemental analyses. The dopotriol was blended with phenol novolac in the ratios of 10/0, 8/2, 6/4, 4/6, 2/8, and 0/10 to serve as a curing agent for diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A. Thermal properties, such as the glass‐transition temperature, thermal decomposition temperature, and flame retardancy, moisture absorption, and dielectric properties of the cured epoxy resins were evaluated. The activity and activation energy of curing were studied with the methods of Kissinger and Ozawa by dynamic differential scanning calorimetry scans. The glass‐transition temperatures of the cured epoxy resins were 138–159 °C, increasing with the phosphorus content. This is rarely seen in the literature after the addition of a flame‐retardant element. The flame retardancy increased with the phosphorus content, and a UL‐94 V‐0 grade was achieved with a phosphorus content of 1.87%. Similar dielectric properties and moisture absorption were observed for these phosphorus‐containing epoxy resins, and this implied that the addition of phosphorus to epoxy did not affect the dielectric properties and moisture absorption. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 2862–2873, 2005     

Low dielectric thermoset. II. Synthesis and properties of novel 2,6‐dimethyl phenol–dipentene epoxy

A 2,6‐dimethyl phenol–dipentene adduct was synthesized from dipentene (DP) and 2,6‐dimethyl phenol, and then a 2,6‐dimethyl phenol–DP epoxy was synthesized from the reaction of the resultant 2,6‐dimethyl phenol–DP adduct and epichlorohydrin. The proposed structures were confirmed by Fourier transform infrared, elemental analysis, mass spectra, NMR spectra, and epoxy equivalent weight titration. The synthesized 2,6‐dimethyl phenol–DP adduct was cured with 4,4‐diamino diphenyl methane, phenol novolac, 4,4‐diamino diphenyl sulfone, and 4,4‐diamino diphenyl ether. The thermal properties of the cured epoxy resins were studied with differential scanning calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, dielectric analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. These data were compared with those for the bisphenol A epoxy system. The cured 2,6‐dimethyl phenol–DP epoxy exhibited a lower dielectric constant (ca. 3.1), a lower dissipation factor (ca. 0.065), a lower modulus, lower thermal stability (5% degradation temperature = 366–424 °C), and lower moisture absorption (1.21–2.18%) than the bisphenol A system but a higher glass‐transition temperature (ca. 173–222 °C) than that of bisphenol A system. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 4084–4097, 2002     

Preparation,thermal properties,and flame retardance of epoxy–silica hybrid resins

A novel epoxy system was developed through the in situ curing of bisphenol A type epoxy and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane with the sol–gel reaction of a phosphorus‐containing trimethoxysilane (DOPO–GPTMS), which was prepared from the reaction of 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide (DOPO) with 3‐glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). The preparation of DOPO–GPTMS was confirmed with Fourier transform infrared, ¹H and ³¹P NMR, and elemental analysis. The resulting organic–inorganic hybrid epoxy resins exhibited a high glass‐transition temperature (167 °C), good thermal stability over 320 °C, and a high limited oxygen index of 28.5. The synergism of phosphorus and silicon on flame retardance was observed. Moreover, the kinetics of the thermal oxidative degradation of the hybrid epoxy resins were studied. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2354–2367, 2003     

Synthesis and properties of phosphorus-containing epoxy resins by novel method

Novel phosphorus-containing epoxy resins (1–3% phosphorus content) were synthesized by the reaction of 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene 10-oxide (DOPO) and the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and then cured with 4,4′-diaminodiphenyl sulfone or phenol novolac. Differential scanning calorimetry, high performance liquid chromatography, and epoxide equivalent weight titration were used to trace the reaction between the DOPO and the epoxy. The thermal stability and flame retardancy were checked by thermal gravimetric analysis, the limiting oxygen index, and the UL-94 vertical test. The glass transitions were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis. The relation between these properties (thermal stability, flame retardancy, and glass transition) and the DOPO contents (phosphorus content) were discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3903–3909, 1999     

Epoxy resins from novel monomers with a bis‐(9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐oxide‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐yl‐) substituent

A new diepoxide and a new diamine, both bearing bis‐(9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐oxide‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐yl‐)‐substituted methylene linkages, were prepared through the reaction of 9,10‐dihydro‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene‐10‐oxide with benzophenone derivatives via a simple addition reaction followed by a dehydration reaction. These two compounds were used as monomers for preparing cured epoxy resins with high phosphorus contents. The resultant epoxy resins showed high glass‐transition temperatures (between 131 and 196 °C). All of the cured epoxy resins exhibited high thermal stability, with 5% weight loss temperatures over 316 °C, and excellent flame retardancy, with limited oxygen index values of 37–50. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 359–368, 2002     

Effect of the organophosphate structure on the physical and flame‐retardant properties of an epoxy resin

2‐(6‐Oxido‐6H‐dibenzo〈c,e〉〈1,2〉oxa‐phosphorin‐6‐yl)1,4‐benzenediol (ODOPB) and bis(3‐dihydroxyphenyl) phenyl phosphate (BHPP) were successfully synthesized and used as reactive flame retardants in o‐cresol formaldehyde novolac epoxy resin. Because of the rigid, cyclic, side‐chain structure of ODOPB, the resultant phosphorus‐containing epoxy resin exhibited a higher glass‐transition temperature, better flame retardancy, higher modulus, and greater thermal stability than the regular bromine‐containing tetrabromobisphenol A epoxy resin and the linear, main‐chain, phosphorus‐containing BHPP epoxy resin. A UL‐94VO rating was achieved with a phosphorus content as low as 1.1% with ODOPB (comparable to a bromine content of 12% and a phosphorus content of 2.2% with BHPP) in the cured resins, and no fumes or toxic gas emissions were observed. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 40: 369–378, 2002     

Synthesis and properties of a cyanate ester containing dicyclopentadiene(II)

A 2,6‐dimethyl phenol‐dicyclopentadiene novolac (DCPDNO) was synthesized from dicyclopentadiene and 2,6‐dimethyl phenol, and the resultant DCPDNO was reacted with cyanogen bromide into 2,6‐dimethyl phenol‐dicyclopentadiene cyanate ester (DCPDCY). The structures of the novolac and cyanate ester were confirmed with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, mass spectrometry (MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance. For the purpose of increasing the mobility of residual DCPDCY during the final stage of curing and achieving a complete reaction of cyanate groups, a small quantity of a monofunctional cyanate ester, 4‐tert‐butylphenol cyanate ester (4TPCY), was added to DCPDCY to form the cyanate ester copolymer. The synthesized DCPDCY was then cured with 4TPCY at various molar ratios. The thermal properties of the cured cyanate ester resins were studied with dynamic mechanical analysis, dielectric analysis, and thermogravimetric analysis. These data were compared with those of the commercial bisphenol A cyanate ester system. Compared with the bisphenol A cyanate ester system, the cured DCPDCY resins exhibited lower dielectric constants (2.52–2.67 at 1 GHz), dissipation factors (0.0054–0.0087 at 1 GHz), glass‐transition temperatures (261–273 °C), thermal stability (5% degradation temperature at 406–450 °C), thermal expansion coefficients (4.8–5.78 × 10^?5/°C before the glass‐transition temperature), and moisture absorption (0.8–1.1%). © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 671–681, 2005     

Novel flame‐retardant thermosets: Phosphine oxide‐containing diglycidylether as curing agent of phenolic novolac resins

Phosphorus‐containing novolac–epoxy systems were prepared from novolac resins and isobutyl bis(glycidylpropylether) phosphine oxide (IHPOGly) as crosslinking agent. Their curing behavior was studied and the thermal, thermomechanical, and flame‐retardant properties of the cured materials were measured. The T_g and decomposition temperatures of the resulting thermosets are moderate and decrease when the phosphorous content increases. Whereas the phosphorous species decrease the thermal stability, at higher temperatures the degradation rates are lower than the degradation rate of the phosphorous‐free resin. V‐O materials were obtained when the resins were tested for ignition resistance with the UL‐94 test. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3516–3526, 2004     

Synthesis of a novel epoxy resin containing diphenylether moiety and thermal properties of its cured polymer with phenol novolac

A new type of epoxy resin containing 4,4′-diphenylether moiety in the backbone (2) was synthesized, and was confirmed by gel permeation chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. In addition, in order to evaluate the influence of 4,4′-diphenylether moiety in the structure, epoxy resins having 4,4′-biphenylene moiety (4) and having 1,4-phenylene moiety (6) in place of 4,4′-diphenylether moiety were synthesized. The cured polymer obtained through the curing reaction between the new diphenylether-containing epoxy resin and phenol novolac was used for making a comparison of its thermal and physical properties with those obtained from 4, 6, and bisphenol-A (4,4′-isopropylidenediphenol) type epoxy resin. The cured polymer obtained from 2 showed markedly higher anaerobic char yield at 700°C of 44.0 wt %, higher fracture toughness, and higher mechanical strength and modulus. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3687–3693, 1999     

Adhesives and coatings based on phenolic/epoxy resins

Low molecular weight epoxy resin based on bis (4‐hydroxy phenyl) 1,1 cyclohexane was prepared and modified with various types of the prepared phenolic resins. Phenol–, cresol–, resorcinol–and salicylic acid–formaldehyde resins were used. The optimum conditions of formulation and curing process were studied to obtain modified wood adhesives characterized by high tensile shear strength values. This study indicated that the more suitable conditions are 1:2 weight ratio of phenol–or cresol–formaldehyde to epoxy resin in the presence of phthalic anhydride (20 wt%) of the resin content as a curing agent at 150°C for 80 min. Resorcinol–or salicylic acid–formaldehyde/epoxy resins formulated at 1:2 weight ratio were cured in the presence of paraformaldehyde (20 wt%) at 150°C for 60 min. The effect of the structure of phenolic resins on the tensile shear strength values of formulated resin samples, when mixed with the epoxy resins and cured under the previously mentioned optimum conditions for different times, was investigated. Metallic and glass coatings from the previous resins were also prepared and evaluated as varnishes or paints. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis of a novel epoxy resin containing naphthalene moiety and properties of its cured polymer with phenol novolac

A new epoxy resin (Bis-ENA) containing naphthalene structure linked with a 1,4-bis(isopropylidene)phenylene was synthesized and was confirmed by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. To estimate the effect of naphthalene moiety on the cured polymer, an epoxy resin (Bis-EP) having phenyl moiety was synthesized, and curing behaviors of Bis-ENA and Bis-EP with phenol novolac were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry. The incorporation of naphthalene structure into the resin backbone increased the curing temperature and reduced the curing reactivity. Thermal properties of the cured polymers obtained from Bis-ENA and Bis-EP with phenol novolac were examined by thermomechanical analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis. Mechanical properties and moisture resistance were evaluated by flexural strength, flexural modulus, and moisture absorption measurements. The cured polymer obtained from Bis-ENA showed higher glass transition temperature, higher flexural modulus, lower thermal expansion, and lower moisture absorption than that from Bis-EP. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 3063–3069, 1999     

Enhanced thermal properties and flame retardancy from a thermosetting blend of a phosphorus‐containing bismaleimide and epoxy resins

Epoxy resins modified by an organosoluble phosphorus‐containing bismaleimide (3,3′‐bis(maleimidophenyl) ­phenylphosphine oxide; BMPPPO) were prepared by simultaneously curing epoxy/diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM), and BMPPPO. The resulted epoxy resins were found to exhibit glass transition temperatures as high as 212 °C, thermal stability at temperatures over 350 °C, and excellent flame retardancy with Limited oxygen index (LOI) values around 40. Incorporation of BMPPPO into epoxy resins via the thermosetting blend was demonstrated to be an effective way to enhance the thermal properties and flame retardancy simultaneously. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and properties of two novel silicon‐containing cycloaliphatic epoxy resins for electronic packaging application

In this paper, two silicon‐containing cycloaliphatic olefins were synthesized through the nucleophilic substitution reactions of cyclohex‐3‐enyl‐1‐methanol with di‐ or tri‐chlorosilane compounds. Then, after epoxidation, two new cycloaliphatic epoxy resins with different epoxy groups were successfully prepared. Their chemical structures were confirmed by ²⁹Si NMR, ¹H NMR, and Fourier‐transform infrared spectra (FTIR). The properties of cured products, including viscoelasticity, glass transition temperature (T_g), coefficient of thermal expansion, thermal stability and water absorption, were investigated. Compared to the difunctional epoxy resin, the trifunctional one exhibited a remarkably increased cross‐linking density from 0.82 to 4.08 × 10^?3 mol/cm³ and T_g from 157 to 228°C. More importantly, prior to curing, they had viscosities of only 240–290 mPa sec at 25°C, which were much lower than that of ERL‐4221 (409 mPa sec), providing the possibility of easy processing. The high glass transition temperatures, good thermal stabilities, and mechanical properties as well as excellent flowability endow the silicon‐containing epoxy resins with promising potential in microelectronic packaging application. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and characterization of liquid‐crystalline epoxy and its blend with conventional epoxy

Terephthaloyl chloride was reacted with 4‐hydroxy benzoic acid to get terephthaloylbis(4‐oxybenzoic) acid, which was characterized and further reacted with epoxy resin [diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)] to get a liquid‐crystalline epoxy resin (LCEP). This LCEP was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and polarized optical microscopy (POM). LCEP was then blended in various compositions with DGEBA and cured with a room temperature curing hardener. The cured blends were characterized by DSC and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) for their thermal and viscoelastic properties. The cured blends exhibited higher storage moduli and lower glass‐transition temperatures (tan δ_max, from DMA) as compared with that of the pure DGEBA network. The formation of a smectic liquid‐crystalline phase was observed by POM during the curing of LCEP and DGEBA/LCEP blends. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 3375–3383, 2003     

Degradable and chemically recyclable epoxy resins containing acetal linkages: Synthesis,properties, and application for carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics

Four sorts of epoxy resins containing degradable acetal linkages were synthesized by the reaction of bisphenol A (BA) or cresol novolak (CN) resin with vinyl ethers containing a glycidyl group [4‐vinlyoxybutyl glycidyl ether (VBGE) and cyclohexane dimethanol vinyl glycidyl ether (CHDMVG)] and cured with known typical amine‐curing agents. The thermal and mechanical properties of the cured resins were investigated. Among the four cured epoxy resins, the CN‐CHDMVG resin (derived from CN and CHDMVE) exhibited relatively high glass transition temperature (T_g = ca. 110 °C). The treatment of these cured epoxy resins with aqueous HCl in tetrahydrofuran (THF) at room temperature for 12 h generated BA and CN as degradation main products in high yield. Carbon fiber‐reinforced plastics (CFRPs) were prepared by heating the laminated prepreg sheets with BA‐CHDMVG (derived from BA and CHDMVE) and CN‐CHDMVG, in which strands of carbon fibers are impregnated with the epoxy resins containing conventional curing agents and curing accelerators. The obtained CFRPs showed good appearance and underwent smooth breakdown with the aqueous acid treatment in THF at room temperature for 24 h to produce strands of carbon fiber without damaging their surface conditions and tensile strength. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012     

Isothermal cure kinetics of epoxy/phenol‐novolac resin blend system initiated by cationic latent thermal catalyst

The investigation of the cure kinetics of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)/phenol‐novolac blend system with different phenolic contents initiated by a cationic latent thermal catalyst [N‐benzylpyrazinium hexafluoroantimonate (BPH)] was performed by means of the analysis of isothermal experiments using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Latent properties were investigated by measuring the conversion as a function of curing temperature using a dynamic DSC method. The results indicated that the BPH in this system for cure is a significant thermal latent initiator and has good latent thermal properties. The cure reaction of the blend system using BPH as a curing agent was strongly dependent on the cure temperature and proceeded through an autocatalytic kinetic mechanism that was accelerated by the hydroxyl group produced through the reaction between DGEBA and BPH. At a specific conversion region, once vitrification took place, the cure reaction of the epoxy/phenol‐novolac/BPH blend system was controlled by a diffusion‐control cure reaction rather than by an autocatalytic reaction. The kinetic constants k₁ and k₂ and the cure activation energies E₁ and E₂ obtained by the Arrhenius temperature dependence equation of the epoxy/phenol‐novolac/BPH blend system were mainly discussed as increasing the content of the phenol‐novolac resin to the epoxy neat resin. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2945–2956, 2000     

Block copolymer modified novolac epoxy resin

The phase behavior of uncured and cured mixtures containing stoichiometric amounts of Epon164 novolac epoxy resin and 4,4′‐methylenedianiline combined with a nearly symmetric poly(methyl acrylate‐co‐glycidyl methacrylate‐b‐polyisoprene) diblock copolymer was investigated with small‐angle X‐ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy. A series of morphologies were documented as a function of the copolymer concentration, which ranged from pure diblock to 2.5 wt % in the thermoset resin. Ordered lamellae bordered a wide multiphase region followed by disordered wormlike micelles that transformed continuously into vesicles at the lowest compositions. The thermal curing of this pentafunctional epoxy system to complete conversion had little impact on the phase behavior of the mixtures, and this was consistent with previous experiments with difunctional epoxy and the same hardening agent. However, changing the epoxy component led to gross changes in the phase behavior that were interpreted with the concept of a wet‐to‐dry brush transition. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 1994–2003, 2003     

Flame‐retardant epoxy resins with high glass‐transition temperatures. II. Using a novel hexafunctional curing agent: 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene 10‐yl‐tris(4‐aminophenyl) methane

We synthesized a novel phosphorus‐containing triamine [9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene 10‐yl‐tris(4‐aminophenyl) methane (dopo‐ta)] from the nucleophilic addition of 9,10‐dihydro‐9‐oxa‐10‐phosphaphenanthrene 10‐oxide and pararosaniline chloride, using triethylamine as an acid receiver. We confirmed the structure of dopo‐ta by IR, mass, and NMR spectra and elemental analysis. dopo‐ta served as a curing agent for diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and dicyclopentadiene epoxy (hp7200). Properties such as the glass‐transition temperature (T_g), thermal decomposition temperature, flame retardancy, moisture absorption, and dielectric properties of the cured epoxy resins were evaluated. The T_g's of cured DGEBA/dopo‐ta and hp7200/dopo‐ta were 171 and 190 °C, respectively. This high T_g phenomenon is rarely seen in the literature after the introduction of a flame‐retardant element. The flame retardancy increased with the phosphorus content, and a UL‐94 V‐0 grade was achieved with a phosphorus content of 1.80 wt % for DGEBA/dopo‐ta/diamino diphenylmethane (DDM) systems and 1.46 wt % for hp7200/dopo‐ta/DDM systems. The dielectric constants for DGEBA/dopo‐ta and hp7200/dopo‐ta were 2.91 and 2.82, respectively, implying that the dopo‐ta curing systems exhibited low dielectric properties. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 5971–5986, 2005     

TSC study and electro‐optical properties of epoxy/acrylic polymer‐dispersed liquid‐crystal film in DICY thermal cure

We report on the structures and electro‐optical properties of epoxy/acrylic polymer‐dispersed liquid‐crystal (PDLC) films. A thermal stimulated current (TSC) analysis was used to investigate the physical structures of PDLC. In the TSC spectrum of PDLC, three relaxation peaks were observed: the glass transition of the liquid crystal, the glass transition of the polymer matrix, and the ρ transition. The ρ transition represents the discharge behavior of space charges, and its intensity increased as the curing time and content of the curing agent dicyandiamide (DICY) increased. The pre‐UV‐cured films with different DICY contents were thermally cured at 130 °C for various periods. The electro‐optical properties of PDLC, such as the contrast ratio and switching voltage, increased as the curing time of DICY, the content of DICY, or both increased. As the ambient temperature increased from 10 to 40 °C, the contrast ratio and switching voltage of PDLC gradually decreased. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 39: 507–514, 2001     

Advanced flame‐retardant epoxy resins from phosphorus‐containing diol

Phosphorus‐containing epoxy systems were prepared from isobutylbis(hydroxypropyl)phosphine oxide (IHPO) and diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA). Diethyl‐N,N‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) aminomethyl phosphonate (Fyrol 6) could not be incorporated into the epoxy backbone by a reaction with either epichlorohydrin or DGEBA because intramolecular cyclization took place. The curing behavior of the IHPO–DGEBA prepolymer with two primary amines was studied, and materials with moderate glass‐transition temperatures were obtained. V‐0 materials were obtained when the resins were tested for ignition resistance with the UL‐94 test. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 43: 3510–3515, 2005