Frontal Polymerization of Phytic Acid Containing Hexaacrylate, Triacrylate, and Fillers

ABSTRACT Frontal polymerization (FP) has been used in the application of coatings, adhesive, and composites. In this work, a new bio‐based phytic acid monomer, known as phyto‐urethane acrylate (PUA) with demonstrated flame retardant abilities, has been incorporated and frontally polymerized into a base formulation composed of trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), a peroxide thermal radical initiator and fumed silica. This is the first report of a hexaacrylate monomer cured via FP. Four different fillers (magnesium hydroxide, nano zinc oxide, milled carbon fiber, and melamine), known for their flame‐retardant properties were also incorporated into the base formulation along with PUA resin. The front velocity, front temperature and viscosity were studied for all formulations in detail. Thermal analysis of the composites showed that composites prepared in this research have high glass transition temperature above 200°C and degradation temperature above 300°C. Surface properties before and after burning events were captured via SEM, and it was found that formulation containing PUA resin showed bubble morphology, which indicates char formation. Microcomputed tomography (μ‐CT) showed that quantity and morphology of the pores in the composites can be altered with the incorporation of PUA resin and fillers.