A fully bio‐based epoxy resin with excellent mechanical properties combines flame retardancy and degradability

Abstract

AbstractTraditional epoxy resins are made from non‐renewable fossil resources, which are difficult to reprocess and recycle, and their flammability makes them unsafe during use. In this experiment, an epoxy resin containing Schiff base (TA‐VAN‐EP) was synthesized successfully with biomass‐derived raw materials. This new material not only had favorable mechanical properties but also had good flame retardancy and degradation properties. The chemical structure of TA‐VAN‐EP was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Its mechanical properties, thermal stability, flame‐retardant properties, and other properties were tested. The results showed that, compared with the pure epoxy resin (EP), the mechanical properties of TA‐VAN‐EP were significantly improved, and the glass transition temperature (Tg) was increased from 152°C to 190°C. Additionally, TA‐VAN‐EP reached a V‐1 rating during the UL‐94 test, and the limited oxygen index (LOI) value increased from 24.7% to 28.4%. Also, the total heat release (THR), smoke production rate (SPR), and total smoke release (TSR) decreased extremely. Moreover, TA‐VAN‐EP demonstrated good degradation performance under acidic conditions. In conclusion, this work provided a new idea for the production of bio‐based flame‐retardant epoxy resin with promising degradable abilities and mechanical properties.