Mixed Glycol Polyphosphonate Compounds

An oligomeric organic phosphonate flame retardant comprised of at least one oligomeric organic phosphonate represented by the formula:

• wherein:
• each R can be the same or different and is a benzyl group or a C1-4 primary or secondary alkyl group, and of the total number of R groups in the molecule, (i) each one is a benzyl group, or (ii) each one is a C1-4 primary or secondary alkyl group, or (iii) at least one of them is a benzyl group and at least one of them is a C1-4 primary or secondary alkyl group;
• each R1 can be the same or different, and is (i) an alkylene group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, (ii) an alkyleneoxyalkylene group, in which each alkylene moiety contains, independently, 2 or 3 carbon atoms, or (iii) an alkyleneoxyalkyleneoxyalkylene group in which each alkylene moiety contains, independently, 2 or 3 carbon atoms;
• each R2 can be the same or different, and is (i) a 1,3-phenylene group, (ii) a 1,4-phenylene group, (iii) a -ph-O-ph- group in which ph is a 1,4-phenylene group, (iv) a -ph-O-ph-O-ph- group in which ph is a 1,4-phenylene group, (v) a -al-O-ph-O-al- group in which al is an ethylene group and ph is a 1,4-phenylene group, or (vi) a -ph-R4-ph- group in which each ph is a 1,4-phenylene group and R4 is a 2,2-propylidene group;
• each R3 can be the same or different, and is (i) a -cy- group which is an unsubstituted cycloalkylene group containing five to eight carbon atoms in the ring, (ii) a -cy-alk- group in which cy is a cycloalkylene group, and alk is a methylene group, an ethylene group or a 1,3-propylene group, (iii) a -alk-cy-alk- group in which cy is a cycloalkylene group, and alk is a methylene or ethylene group;
• m is an integer in the range of 0 to 5, n is an integer in the range of 0 to 5, and p is an integer in the range of 0 to 5, with the total of said integers m, n, and p being in the range of 3 to 10, and with the provisos that only one of m, n and p can be 0, and that neither m nor n nor p need be 0;
• and
• each E is independently selected from HOR1O—, HOR2O—, HO—R3O— or lower alkyl;
• and
• wherein the bracketed segments of m, n, and p can be arranged in any order or sequence such that the oligomer has a random configuration, an alternating configuration, or a block configuration.