NEXCEL Project Paper 28

Release time: 2024/08/28 Publisher： original Views：

Development of single-component epoxy resin with superb thermal stability, flame retardancy, smoke suppression, and latency via Cu-based phosphorus/imidazole-containing complex

Introduction

Dr. Wang Jingsheng from Wuhan University of Technology, Principal Investigator of NEXCEL 2024 Ph.D. project titled 'Synthesis of Phosphorus-Metal-Imidazole Complexes as Latent Flame-retardant Curing Agents and Their Impact on the Curing and Flame-retardant Properties of Epoxy Resin', has published a paper entitled "Development of single-component epoxy resin with superb thermal stability, flame retardancy, smoke suppression, and latency via Cu-based phosphorus/imidazole-containing complex" in "Polymer Degradation and Stability" (SCI) recently.

Abstract：

To address the growing need for fire-safe single-component epoxy resin (EP) systems, this study introduced a phosphorus-containing copper complex (Cu-DA) as a multifunctional latent curing agent. The Cu-DA complex, synthesized by coordinating copper (II) chloride and a phosphorus-based imidazole, significantly improved the latency, thermal stability, and fire resistance of single-component EP. The obtained EP/Cu-DA-2 mixture with 15.3 wt% Cu-DA showed a 43-day shelf life and a rapid gel time of 22 min at 150 °C, highlighting its superb latency and fast curing. After curing, the resultant thermoset had a high glass transition temperature of 160.9 °C and increased crosslinking density, indicating superior thermal stability. The EP/Cu-DA-3 system with 17.4 wt% Cu-DA achieved a high limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 37.8 % and a UL-94 V-0 rating, reflecting its satisfactory flame retardancy. Furthermore, compared to the control EP system, the total smoke production (TSP) and maximum smoke density (MSD) of EP/Cu-DA-3 were reduced by approximately 28.4 % and 25.8 %, respectively, demonstrating significantly enhanced smoke suppression. The research offers a scalable strategy for developing single-component EP systems with rapid curing, high fire resistance, and great smoke suppression, meeting the demands of industrial applications.

Paper Details:
Polymer Degradation and Stability 228 (2024) 110906
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2024.110906