Synthesis of Phosphated K-Carrageenan and Its Application for Flame-Retardant Waterborne Epoxy

In this paper, phosphated K-carrageenan (P-KC) was obtained by reacting POCl₃ with the renewable source K-carrageenan (KC). P-KC and 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO) were added into waterborne epoxy (EP) to improve its flame retardancy. The structure of P-KC was studied comprehensively using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), showing the successful synthesis of P-KC. The flame retardancy of the EP was evaluated by the cone calorimeter test. The results showed that different mass ratios of DOPO and P-KC affected the flame retardancy of EP. When the mass ratio of DOPO and P-KC was 2:1, total heat release (THR) and total smoke production (TSP) decreased by 48.7% and 37.4%, respectively. The microstructures of residue char were observed by FTIR and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), indicating that the flame-retardant waterborne epoxy (FR-EP) system held a more cohesive and denser char structure. The char inhibited the diffusion of heat and oxygen, which played a key role in the flame retardancy.