Synthesis and thermal properties of silicon-containing epoxy resin used for UV-curable flame-retardant coatings

A novel silicon-containing trifunctional cycloaliphatic epoxide resin tri(3,4-epoxycyclohexylmethyloxy) phenyl silane (TEMPS) was synthesized and characterized by FTIR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopic analysis. A series of flame-retardant formulations by blending TEMPS with a commercial epoxide resin DGEBA (EP828) in different ratios were prepared, and exposed to a medium pressure lamp to form the cured films in the presence of diaryliodonium hexafluorophosphate salt as a cationic photoinitiator. The thermal degradation behaviors of the cured films were evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis. The char yields under nitrogen and air atmospheres increased along with the TEMPS content. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) value increased from 22 for EP828 to 30 for TEMPS80, demonstrating the improved flame retardancy. The data from the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis showed that TEMPS had good miscibility with EP828. The T _s and T _g both decreased from 93 and 138 to 78 and 118 °C, respectively. The crosslinking density (ν _e) increased along with the TEMPS content. The mechanical property measurements indicated that the addition of TEMPS led to a decrease in the tensile strength and an increase in the elongation-at-break.