Substitued Phosphazene Compounds and their Use as Flame Resistance Additives for Organic Polymers

1 . A phosphazene compound represented by the structure:

wherein:

(1) m is a number of from 3 to 20,

(2) each Q group is a Q 1 group or Q 2 group provided that at least one Q group on the phosphazene compound is a Q 1 group and at least one Q group on the phosphazene compound is a Q 2 group,

(3) each Q 1 group is independently a phosphate group represented by the structure II:

wherein each R is independently an unsubstituted or substituted hydrocarbyl group which contains no halogen atoms,

(4) each Q 2 group is an unsubstituted or substituted aryloxy or alkoxy group that contains no phosphorus atoms and no halogen atoms,

(5) the Q groups bonded to any particular phosphorus atom may form a ring structure that includes that phosphorus atom, and

(6) the phosphazene compound contains at least 7% by weight of phosphorus atoms.

2 . The phosphazene compound of claim 1 , wherein each R is independently a linear or branched C 1 -C 20 alkyl group, a phenyl group, a benzyl group, a phenyl group that contains alkyl substitution on the aromatic ring, a biphenyl or polyphenyl group, a naphthyl group), an alkoxy-substituted phenyl group, a phenoxy group that contains aralkyl substitution, or an aryloxy-substituted phenyl group.

3 . The phosphazene compound of claim 1 , wherein each Q 2 group is independently a linear or branched alkoxyl group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a phenoxy group, a phenoxy group that contains alkyl substitution, a phenoxy group that contains phenyl substitution, a phenoxy group that contains aryloxy substitution, or a phenoxy group that contains aralkyl substitution.

4 . The phosphazene compound of claim 1 , wherein each R group is phenyl.

5 . The phosphazene compound of claim 1 , which is di-(diphenolphosphate)-di-(2,2′-dihydroxybiphenyl)cyclotriphosphazene.

6 . The phosphazene compound of claim 1 , wherein at least Q 1 or Q 2 group contains a hydroxyl, ether, tertiary amine, ester, urethane or urea group.

7 . A mixture comprising the phosphazene compound of claim 1 and at least one other flame retardant.

8 . A polymer composition comprising a combustible polymer having mixed therein an effective amount of the phosphazene compound of claim 1 .

9 . The polymer composition of claim 8 , further comprising at least one filler, antioxidant, UV stabilizer, fluorinated polymer, lubricant or impact modifier.

10 . A phosphazene compound represented by the structure:

wherein:

(1) m is a number from 3 to 20,

(2) each Q group is a Q 3 group or Q 4 group provided that at least one Q group on the phosphazene compound is a Q 3 group and at least one Q group on the phosphazene compound is a Q 4 group,

(3) each Q 3 group is independently is an aryloxy or alkoxy group that is substituted with at least one phosphorus atom and which contains no halogen atoms,

(4) each Q 4 group is independently an aryloxy or alkoxy group that contains no phosphorus atoms, and no nitrogen atoms,

(5) the Q groups bonded to any particular phosphorus atom in the phosphazene ring may form a ring structure that includes that phosphorus atom, and

(6) the phosphazene compound contains at least 7% by weight of phosphorus atoms.

11 . The phosphazene compound of claim 10 , which contains no halogen atoms.

12 . The phosphazene compound of claim 10 , wherein each Q 3 group is independently represented by any of the structures IX, X or XI, wherein structures IX, X and XI are:

wherein each R is independently an unsubstituted or inertly substituted hydrocarbyl group which contains no halogen atoms, each R 1 is independently hydrogen or C1-C 3 alkyl, and c is a number that is at least one, provided that the total number of carbon atoms in the Q 3 group is from 1 to 20;

wherein each R is independently an unsubstituted or inertly substituted hydrocarbyl group which contains no halogen atoms, e is a number from 1 to 5, and each X is independently a hydrogen or a substituent group; and

wherein each X is independently a hydrogen or a substituent group.

13 . The phosphazene compound of claim 10 , wherein each Q 4 group is independently a linear or branched alkoxyl group containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a phenoxy group, a phenoxy group that contains alkyl substitution, a phenoxy group that contains phenyl substitution, a phenoxy group that contains aryloxy substitution, or a phenoxy group that contains aralkyl substitution.

14 . The phosphazene compound of claim 10 , wherein at least Q 3 or Q 4 group contains a hydroxyl, ether, tertiary amine, ester, urethane or urea group.

15 . A mixture comprising the phosphazene compound of claim 10 and at least one other flame retardant.

16 . A polymer composition comprising a combustible polymer having mixed therein an effective amount of the phosphazene of claim 10 .

17 . The polymer composition of claim 16 , further comprising at least one filler, antioxidant, UV stabilizer, fluorinated polymer, lubricant or impact modifier.