Application of modified phytic acid as flame retardant in cellulosic paper

A flame retardant containing phosphorus and nitrogen was synthesized using phytic acid and dicyandiamide, and it was subsequently used to prepare flame-retardant cellulosic paper via an impregnation method. Vertical flame and limiting oxygen index (LOI) were used to evaluate the flame retardancy of the paper. The paper containing modified phytic acid was characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). When the concentration of modified phytic acid was 20%, the char length of the treated paper decreased from 12.5 cm to 4.1 cm, the LOI value increased from 19.6% to 41.5%, and the tensile index was only 3.66% lower than that of the control paper. The modified phytic acid was judged to have good flame-retardant effects on the paper.