Phosphate-containing flame-retardant polymers with good compatibility to polypropylene. I. The effect of phosphate structure on its thermal behavior

Phosphate-containing flame-retardant polymers were synthesized via a partia l-substitution reaction of poly(vinyl acetate) with stearylphosphonic chlor ide (SPPC) and diethylchlorophosphate in various substitution ratios. SPPC had been previously synthesized from phosphonic dichloride and stearyl alco hol. The synthesized SPPC and the flame-retardant polymer products mere cha racterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra analysis. The quant itative analysis of phosphorus in the polymer products was carried out by E DS (Energy Dispersion Spectrummeter) analysis. The real substitution ratios of the polymer products were estimated by the atomic number ratio of carbo n and phosphate in products from EDS data. Variations in the glass-transiti on temperature and thermal-decomposition temperature of the products were i nvestigated. The char of polymer products produced after thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was also analyzed by FTIR, and the results show that differe nt phosphate substitution leads to different char developments during the h eating of TGA. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.