The Property of A Novel Crosslinked Foam from Thermoplastic Phenol‐Terminated Polyphenylene Ether Resin with High Molecular Weight (MPF) Cured by Hydroxymethylated Phenol‐Terminated Polyphenylene Ether Resin with Low Molecular Weight (LPR)

Previously, the foam from phenol‐terminated polyphenylene ether resin with high molecular weight (MPF) cured by hexamethylenetetramine has been prepared. in order to improve the comprehensive property of foam, the crosslinked foam based on MPF cured by a novel curing agent was established. Here, the crosslinking agent of MPF is hydroxymethylated phenylene ether‐based phenol formaldehyde with low molecular weight (LPR), which was synthesized from phenol, diphenyl ether, and paraformaldehyde. The crosslinked foam (LMPF) is novel, which is characteristic of high roughness and excellent intrinsic flame retardancy. Compared with other curing agents, LPR can shorten the gel time of MPF. Also, the addition of a certain amount of LPR can improve the thermal stability of the crosslinked foam (LMPFs) and lower the pulverizing rate. The LOI value of LMPFs foam is above 27% without the extra flame retardant, only relying on the intrinsic structure. The formation of dense carbon layer is the key for the flame retardancy. The foam LMPFs are superior to the common phenolic foams, which is promising for the applications. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved