Fire performance and mechanical properties of phenolic foams modified by phosphorus-containing polyethers

Two kinds of novel phosphorus-containing polyether toughening agents were synthesized and characterized by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) and Fourier transform infrared spectra (FTIR). Afterwards, a series of phenolic foams with different loadings of phosphorus-containing toughening agents were prepared. The apparent density and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the addition of 5 wt% toughening agents increased the expansion ratio and promoted the formation of uniform cells. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) values of modified phenolic foams decreased with the increase of modifier content, but it still remained at 40% even if the amount of modifier loadings was 10 wt%. UL-94 results showed all samples can pass V0 rating, indicating the modified foams still have great flame retardance. Microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC) results indicated that the peak heat release rate (PHRR) and total heat release (THR) of the modified foams were reduced by 42% and 35%, respectively, compared to the pure phenolic foams. Moreover, the thermal stability of samples was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The mechanical properties were evaluated and correlated with composition and structural features.