Flame-retardant ABS resins from novel phenyl isocyanate blocked novolac phenols and triphenyl phosphate

Abstract

In an effort to prepare a novel novolac phenol (NP) based char former with good solubility, the hydroxyl functionalities of NP were blocked with phenyl isocyanate (PI) via a simple urethane-forming reaction. The chemical structure and properties of the obtained novolac phenol–phenyl isocyanate adduct (NP–PI) were characterized with gel permeation chromatography, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, 1H-NMR, and differential scanning calorimetry. Adducts of two kinds of NPs (molecular weights = 450 and 800) with PI were used as potential char formers for this study. Thus, a two-component system using NP–PI as a char former and triphenyl phosphate (TPP) as a phosphorous-based flame retardant was blended with ABS, and the thermal degradation behavior and flame retardance were examined as a function of the molar mass of NP–PI and the TPP/NP–PI ratio with thermogravimetric analysis and limiting oxygen index (LOI) testing. ABS compositions with no NP–PI were also prepared for comparison. The mixtures showed a synergistic effect between TPP and NP–PI on the flame-retardance enhancement of ABS. Those containing the higher molar mass NP–PI adduct were the most flame retardant, and a LOI value as high as 41 was obtained. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 721–728, 2006