Flame‐retardant and physical properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) chemically modified by diethyl chlorophosphate

Abstract

Abstract Phosphorylated poly(vinyl alcohol) (P‐PVA) was prepared via the modification of the pendent hydroxyl groups of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in the presence of diethyl chlorophosphate (DECP). Chemical structures of the P‐PVA were characterized by attenuated total reflection‐Fourier transform infrared, 1 H NMR, and 31 PNMR spectra. The formed P‐PVA showed good flame retardance, improved thermal stability, enhanced hydrophilicity, decreased tensile strength, and increased elongation at break compared with PVA. The crystallinity of P‐PVA was much lower than that of PVA, and it decreased with the increase of phosphorus content. The reasons for the obvious differences between the aforementioned properties of PVA and P‐PVA were investigated and discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012