High fire-safety epoxy resin with functional polymer/metal–organic framework hybrids

Petroleum-derived bisphenol A-type epoxy resins are highly flammable and vulnerable to fires, limiting their wide applications. The addition of inorganic flame retardants to the epoxy resin improves the flame retardancy of the epoxy resin, but it is difficult to distribute them evenly in the polymer matrix. Here, we introduce flame-retardant epoxy resins supported by the functional polymer/metal–organic framework hybrids. The hybrids, consisted of polyaniline, poly (4-styrenesulfonic acid), and Zr-based organic frameworks, demonstrate effective flame-retardant effects with homogeneous distribution in the epoxy based on their synergistic effects of each material. Compared with pure epoxy resin, the presence of 1 wt% of hybrid flam-retardant remarkably decreases the combustion, the heat release, and the smoke production.