Engineering phosphorus-containing lignin for epoxy biocomposites with enhanced thermal stability,fire retardancy and mechanical properties

Fabricating a high-performing thermoset using bio-based flame retardant is critical for the sustain-able development of engineering materials with superior fire safety and robust mechanical properties.Herein,the epoxy(EP)composites with the industrial requirements are manufactured with a novel high-efficient,lignin-based flame retardant named DAL-x,which is fabricated by grafting 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaze-10-oxide(DOPO)onto lignin.The resulting DAL-x/EP composite exhibits excellent flame retardancy with a desirable UL-94 V-0 rating and a satisfactory limiting oxygen index(LOI)of 29.8%due to the appropriate phosphorus content of DAL-x with adjustable molecular chain structure.More-over,the DAL-x/EP composite shows an unexpected improvement in the elastic modulus(∼36%)and well-preserved strength and ductility compared with those of pure EP.This work offers a feasible strat-egy for creating efficient bio-based flame retardants utilizing industrial waste lignin and preparing high-performance EP composites that meet the demanding requirement of fire retardancy in industries,con-tributing to the circular economy and sustainability.