Boron compounds polymer applications

Boron compounds such as borax and boric acid are well-known fire retardants in cellulosic products and coatings.12 However, the use of boron compounds such as zinc borate, ammonium pent-aborate (APB), melamine borate, boric oxide, boron phosphate, and other metal borates in polymers has become prominent only since early 1980s.3 6 This chapter will review the chemical and physical properties, the end-use applications, as well as the mode of actions of major boron compounds as fire retardants in different applications. Since boron-based flame retardants are extensively used and quoted in literature, only those formulations of commercial importance and representative literature examples will be discussed and/or cited in this chapter. 

The rapid development of carborane chemistry is mainly due to their practical applications. For instance, the potential utility of carborane polymers as gaskets, O-rings, and electrical connector inserts has been reported. Their functionality for solvent extraction of radionuchdes as well as the potential medicinal value of the isoelectronic and isostructural boron analogues of biologically important molecules has been the subject of many review articles. For example, a number of boron compounds have been found to possess anti-inflammatory and antiarthritic activity in animal model studies. Boron compounds have also been implicated in studies designed to probe the importance of the so-called anionic subsite of acetylcholine esterase and Ach receptors. But, by far the most interesting practical apphcations of carboranes are in areas of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) and supramolecular assembly. 

The emphasis in the approaches to boron nitride [10043-11 -5], BN, precursors has been concentrated on cyclic compounds. There have been recent reports of trimethylsilyl-substituted aminoboranes being evaluated as B—N precursors. These are linear borylamines containing up to four boron atoms. Compounds were also synthesized with free —NH2 groups amenable to condensation with either dihaloboranes or dihaloborazines (65) and offering suitable monomers for linear B—N polymer synthesis and borazine-ring-linking applications. 

Covering many areas of chemistry with boron at its centre, topics include applications to polyolefin catalysis, medicine, materials and polymers boron cluster chemistry, including carboranes and metal-containing clusters organic and inorganic chemistry of species containing only 1 or 2 boron atoms and theoretical studies of boron-containing compounds. New materials with novel optical and electronic properties are also discussed. 

The goal of chemical modification of phenolics is the improvement of chemical and physical properties and to tailor the polymer to specific applications. Phenolics can be modified during synthesis by use of substituted monomers or monomer mixtures and after synthesis by electrophilic ring substitution, nucleophilic hydroxyl group capping, and reactions with compounds of boron, phosphorous, silicon, and titanium. 

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