Construction of a mesoporous silica/ phytate-based flame-retardant hybrid and its modified epoxy resin and cyanate ester copolymer with simultaneously improved flame retardancy, smoke suppression and dielectric properties

In this study, a silica with mesoporous structure (SBA) was modified through an in-situ method with a bio phytate-based flame retardant (DPA) to form a SBA/DPA hybrid (SBA@DPA), and SBA@DPA was examined through TEM , FTIR, XRD and BET. The effect of SBA@DPA on the dielectric performance and fire behavior of a copolymer of cyanate ester resin and epoxy resin (EPCE) was investigated. The EPCE composite containing 15 wt% SBA@DPA (EPCE/15SBA@DPA) exhibited a limiting oxygen index value of 30.4 vol% with a UL-94 V-0 rating. In comparison with EPCE, EPCE/15SBA@DPA showed reductions of 12.5 % in total smoke release, 18.0 % in peak heat release rate and 23.5 % in total heat release. Moreover, EPCE/15SBA@DPA displayed a low dielectric constant (3.52) and low dielectric loss (0.00951) at 10 MHz. Mechanical properties of EPCE composites were also examined.