Abstract

Epoxy resins have been widely used for coatings, adhesives, electronic materials, and matrices for fiber-reinforced composites because of their outstanding mechanical properties, good heat resistance, high adhesion strength, and high electrical resistance. The properties of cured epoxy resins are affected by the structure of epoxy resin, curing agents, additives, and curing process. An overview of the recent literature on new developments in epoxy monomers, curing agents, and fire-retardant additives is described. The literature sources are mostly taken from publications from 2006 and later. This entry discusses the latest advancements of phosphorus-containing fire retardants for electrical and electronic applications and compares them with commercially available ones. Silicon, boron, metals, or nitrogen-containing products and inorganic additives remain of great interest as supplementary materials to phosphorus fire retardants. The mechanism of thermal degradation and fire retardancy of phosphorus fire retardants in epoxy resins is also discussed.