US 20020032279A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2002/0032279 A1 Hwang et al. (43) Pub. Date: Mar. 14, 2002 (54) FLAME RETARDANT RESIN AND FLAME Publication Classification RETARDANT COMPOSITION CONTAINING THE SAME (51) Int. Cl." ........................................................ C08F 8/00 (52) U.S. Cl. .............................................................. 525/107 (75) Inventors: Kuen Yuan Hwang, Hsinchu (TW); Hong-Hsing Chen, Hsinchu (TW); An (57) ABSTRACT Pang Tu, Hsinchu (TW); Huan-Chang The present invention relates to a phosphorus-containing Chao, Hsinchu (TW) epoxy resin, which is an epoxy resin modified with a side Correspondence Address: chain having a reactive phosphorus-containing compound. EDWARDS & ANGELL, LLP Also, the present invention relates to a flame-retardant resin Dike, Bronstein, Roberts & Cushman, IP Group composition, which comprises: 130 Water Street (1) the phosphorus-containing epoxy resin, Boston, MA 02109 (US) (2) a halogen-free hardener having a reactive hydrogen capable of reacting with the epoxy group in epoxy (73) Assignee: Chang Chun Plastics Co., Ltd. resin, and (21) Appl. No.: 09/794,835 (3) a hardener promoter. (22) Filed: Feb. 27, 2001 The flame-retardant resin composition described above has improved excellent heat resistance and flame retardant prop (30) Foreign Application Priority Data erty, and is especially Suitable for adhesive laminates, com posite materials, printed circuit boards, adhesive material for Jul. 19, 2000 (TW).......................................... 891.14433 copper foils, and is Suitable for IC packaging materials. US 2002/0032279 A1 Mar. 14, 2002 FLAME RETARDANT RESIN AND FLAME usually contains up to 17% to 21% of bromine and is used RETARDANT COMPOSITION CONTAINING THE in combination with antimonous acid anhydride or other SAME retardants to achieve the standard of UL 94V-0. However, the use of high contents of bromine in epoxy resin or BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION antimonous acid anhydride will adversely affect the health of human body. AS well, bromine not only generates erosive 0001) 1. Field of the Invention free radicals and hydrogen bromide when it burns, aromatic 0002 The present invention relates to flame-retardant compounds with high bromine contents also produce toxic epoxy resins, and more particularly to a flame-retardant brominated furans and a brominated dioxine compound epoxy resin modified by a reactive phosphorus-containing during the burning process. Thus, Since both human health compound. and the environment are Seriously affected, it is necessary to find a novel flame retardant material and a flame retardant 0003 2. Background of the Invention property to Solve the pollution and environmental problems 0004 Conventional flame retardant compositions are caused by the current use of laminated products or compo generally added with flame retardant materials. Such as nents containing bromide or bromo-epoxy resin. Especially, halogen-containing compounds or antimony- or Vanadium it is necessary to actively develop flame retardant epoxy containing oxides to form high heat resistant compositions. resin materials which will not endanger humans and are The use of these materials, however, often causes Serious environmentally friendly to respond to the massive use of environmental pollution problems. electrical and electric products and components containing 0005. In the application of composite materials, as, for FR-4 epoxy glass fiber laminated plates. example in coating, electrical insulation, construction, build 0008 Thus, in order to protect human health and ing materials, adhesives or laminated products, epoxy resin decrease environmental pollution, a reactive type of flame composite materials are currently frequently used. Because retardant material has been developed. The technique using of easy processing, high Safety, excellent mechanical and phosphorus-containing compounds instead of bromine-con chemical properties, epoxy resins have been widely used in taining compounds (flame retardant materials convention many fields, and especially in the manufacture of laminated ally used) is widely accepted. The study and application of plates. Also, because epoxy resins have Strong adhesion to phosphorus System compounds for use as flame retardant reinforcement materials (such as glass-fiber fabrics), no materials that are environmentally friendly are currently Volatility matters, and Small shrinkage of the product while extensive, for example, red phosphorus or phosphorus hardening, laminated plateS produced by Such resins have containing organic compounds (such as triphenylphosphate, been massively applied to electrical and electronic products triphenylmethyl phosphate, etc.) are directly added to Sub or components. However, in order to prevent the products or Stitute halide as a flame retardant to improve the burning components from deterioration caused by the elevated tem property of polymer materials or hard resin materials. How perature during proceSS or use, additives Such as, for ever, it is necessary to add Such compounds in large amounts example, halogen compounds, phosphorus compounds or directly into resins to achieve flame retarding. The high oxides of antimony, Vanadium, etc., are generally added to migration due to the Smaller molecular weight of the com increase the heat resistance of the epoxy resins. pound will affect the properties of resin Substrates making, for example, electrical property, adhesive Strength, etc., 0006. In the current significant process of the printed inferior, resulting in difficulty of application. circuit board, the laminated plates are required to have excellent electrical properties, mechanical properties, and 0009. It is known that the technique employs a reactive heat resistant processing properties, in addition there is type of phosphorus-containing epoxy resin instead of the increased demand for finer patterns on the circuit board. For bromine-containing or bromo-epoxy resins generally used example, FR4 laminated plates, which are widely used, have as flame retardant ingredients, for example in U.S. Pat. No. a glass transition temperature of about 130 C. after hard 5,376,453, which utilizes the composition of phosphates ening. For the process of the printed circuit board, the having epoxy group and nitrogen-containing hardener to temperature is over 200 C. during cutting and drilling, and make laminated plates. It is necessary to add many kinds of even reaches over 270° C. during welding. Thus the lami phosphate-containing epoxy resin compositions to increase nated plates may break or crack during manufacture. In a phosphorus content that will achieve the high Standard of addition, for the laminated plates of printed circuit boards, UL94V-0. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,978, a composition formed another important property is flame retardancy. In Some from epoxy phosphates, nitrogen-containing epoxy resin, applications, Such as airplanes, automobiles, and public and metal complex hardener is used to make laminated transportation, the flame retardant property of the printed plates which has the flame retardant property approaching to circuit board is absolutely necessary. UL94V-0 (40 seconds, 50 seconds related to critical value). 0007. In order to impart a flame retardant property to In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,973,631 and 5,086,156, a trialkyl oxide laminated plates, Substances that Separate the flame and having an active hydrogen Substituent (Such as amino group) decrease burning are introduced. For the laminated plates of is used alone or in combination with other amine hardeners epoxy resin/glass-fiber Systems (or organic fiber), halogen to harden epoxy resins. In these hardening methods of containing compounds, especially bromine-containing introducing phosphorus to resins, the low content of phos epoxy resins, and hardeners are used in combination with phorus is notable to achieve the flame retardant effect. There flame retardant material Such as antimonous acid anhydride, is no actual measurement of the flame retardant effect in etc., So that the achievement of flame retardant standards (as these two patents. strict as the UL94V-0 level) in the laminated plates can be 0010. In the techniques disclosed above it is usually attained. The flame retarding Substance in epoxy resin necessary to add many types of phosphorus-containing US 2002/0032279 A1 Mar. 14, 2002 compounds to meet the flame retardant Standard; however, 0015 The phosphorus-containing flame retardant resin additional additives usually make the processing conditions composition usually used in the process is a linear phos of products hard to control or the property of their products phorus-containing compound or non-reactive phosphorus inferior. containing compound resin compositions, which are much different in their processing properties. The phosphorus 0.011 Therefore, the method currently used to increase containing compound modified epoxy resin disclosed in the flame retardant property is to add nitrogen and phosphorus present invention has a flame retardant phosphorus-contain containing Substances instead of the currently used bromine ing Substance. Since the phosphorus-containing compound or antimony-containing Substances. The nitrogen-containing Side chain has a moiety which can react with the epoxy Substance frequently used is melamine, DICY, or cyanate group in epoxy resin, the difference in processing properties which contains a triazine ring. The phosphorus-containing will be small.