INNOVATION | FLAME RETARDANTS
Regulation drives FR development
The safety benefit of flame retardants is clear but tighter health and environmental regulation is pushing development in the direction of more sustainable
solutions.Peter Mapleston reports
Regulation and consumer preference are proving the key drivers behind development of new flame-retardant systems for use in thermoplastics. Suppliers of an increasingly diverse variety of halogen-free flame retardants (HFFRs), which are increasingly seen as more sustainable than halo- genated types, are making considerable progress in addressing performance issues relating to some of their products. Meanwhile, producers of tradi- tional and long-established brominated systems (BFRs) are presenting arguments to challenge what they see as unfair new laws restricting their use. On the halogen-free side, industry association
PINFA (Phosphorus, Inorganic & Nitrogen Flame Retardants Association) says it sees interest in HFFRs continuing to grow. “Strong opportunities, or indeed obligations, for PIN FRs will result in coming years from the EU’s Green Deal,” it says. “The Green Deal is already leading to new policy initiatives such as the new Chemicals Strategy with its ‘Zero Pollution Ambition,’ and the Sustainable Products Initiative. Further policy developments are expected soon, including a revision of RoHS (Restriction of
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Hazardous Substances), which already bans several brominated FRs in E&E applications.” HFFR take-up is also expected to benefit from EU moves towards circularisation and ecological design. “The new Circular Economy Action Plan specifically targets recycling in electronics and IT, batteries and vehicles, plastics and textiles so that plastics additives must aim to be safe for end-of-life recycling,” according to PINFA. “The EcoDesign Directive [will exclude] halogenated FRs in enclo- sures and stands of screens and displays. Proposals are being considered to widen the scope of the Directive, which currently covers only certain electrical products.” The new EU policy context will pose challenges to the chemicals industry and to compounders and plastics users. But PINFA believes it will also bring opportunity for innovation, pointing out that nearly all R&D in the area of flame retardancy is today targeting PIN FRs. “The trend towards environmen- tally preferable PIN FRs will be accelerated,” it says. “At the same time, existing PIN FRs, known to be safe and effective, will continue to be improved.
Main image: Tightening regulation, particularly in Europe, is challenging flame retardant producers to meet increas- ingly demand- ing environ- mental and performance goals
December 2020 | COMPOUNDING WORLD 17
IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK
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