The Preparation, Thermal Properties, and Fire Property of a Phosphorus-Containing Flame-Retardant Styrene Copolymer

A 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene 10-oxide (DOPO) acrylate, (6-oxidodibenzo [c,e][1,2] oxaphosphinin-6-yl) methyl acrylate (DOPOAA), has been prepared. Copolymers of styrene (St) and DOPOAA were prepared by emulsion polymerization. The chemical structures of copolymers containing levels of DOPOAA were verified using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H-NMR) spectroscopy. The thermal properties and flame-retardant behaviors of DOPO-containing monomers and copolymers were observed using thermogravimetric analysis and micro calorimetry tests. From thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), it was found out that the T_5% for decomposition of the copolymer was lower than that of polystyrene (PS), but the residue at 700 °C was higher than that of PS. The results from micro calorimetry (MCC) tests indicated that the rate for the heat release of the copolymer combustion was lower than that for PS. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) for combustion of the copolymer rose with increasing levels of DOPOAA. These data indicate that copolymerization of the phosphorus-containing flame-retardant monomer, DOPOAA, into a PS segment can effectively improve the thermal stability and flame retardancy of the copolymer.