Fire retardants | additives feature
The producers of flame retardant additives and
compounds are working hard to deliver improved
fire safety, while reducing costs and minimising
environmental impact. Lilli Sherman talks
with some leading players
Formulating for fire resistance
Companies involved in the development and production of flame retardant (FR) additives and compounds are meeting tough demands for delivering improved perform- ance at lower costs. At the same time they are responding to environmental and health concerns and legislation that are leading to the phase out of some of the most effective and widely used flame retardant technologies. While these demands are presenting considerable
challenges to the industry, many companies are respond- ing with exciting new technologies – both halogenated and non-halogenated – and are investing heavily to meet growing demand for these greener alternatives. The producers of flame retardant compounds and
masterbatches have been active in either modifying existing FR formulations or developing new products, often utilising existing chemistries in new ways or in novel combinations. Their aim is to expand their product portfolios, allowing them to enter new market applica- tions, and to offer improved FR solutions that are more customized to changing demands. For example, RTP’s product development engineer
Greg Fedor says that his company is currently experi- encing increased activity in FR products for the energy, mass transit, and aerospace markets. It is therefore
www.compoundingworld.com
developing additional products to meet the specifica- tions and performance criteria of these sectors. Dr. Kelvin Shen, consultant for Rio Tinto Minerals
and well-known industry expert in the flame retardants arena, notes that while the market share for halogen- free flame retardants is increasing, halogen flame retardants still constitute the largest share. RTP’s Fedor adds that about eight years ago, it looked
like halogen-free was going to be the only way to go. However, people subsequently realised that you don’t have to be halogen-free to meet directives such as the EU’S Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and the recycling of waste electrical and electronic equip- ment (WEEE), or to comply with REACH regulations. He and other industry sources agree that halogen-
free FR options still generally lag behind in performance properties, but he also stresses that companies like RTP are constantly improving on them and some options are now very close to offering equivalent performance to the halogen-based workhorses. “We see traction in commercialising halogen-free compounds as the interest in green solutions expands and major OEMs are placing their own restrictions on use of halogenated FR chemistries in end products,” says Fedor.
December 2011 | COMPOUnDInG WORlD 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
