Preparation of Melamine Formaldehyde Resin Modified with Pentaerythritol and its Flame Retardant Effect in Polypropylene

A new triazine charring agent, melamine formaldehyde resin modified with pentaerythritol (named as MF-MPOL), was synthesized through hydroxymethylation, condensation and etherification by using melamine, paraformaldehyde and pentaerythritol as raw materials, and characterized by solid-state 13 C NMR and FT-IR. The intumescent flame retardant (IFR) consisting of MF-MPOL with ammonium polyphosphate has good flame retardancy in polypropylene (PP). The analysis of the residues obtained in cone calorimetry test showed that the IFR played a role of flame retardancy mainly in condensed phase. In other words, the porous and dense - continuous intumescent char layer formed during the burning process results in flame retardant effect by insulation of heat, oxygen and preventing the underlying PP from degradation and volatilization of pyrolytic products.