FLAME RETARDANTS | INNOVATION
Table 1: Momentive’s SFR320 flame retardant can deliver a UL94 V-0 rating in polycarbonate at 1% concentration while maintaining transparency and low temperature impact properties. Momentive says the phenyl substituted low viscosity silicone fluid (previously marketed as Y-1932) is compatible with many polymers and can provide improved processability, flame propagation inhibition and combustion rate Source: Momentive
PC alloy,” says Jiang. “Most PC alloys obtain V-0 at no thinner than 1.5-1.6mm.”
Jiang sees good potential for PC/PBT compounds containing Nofia in automotive interiors, since it is possible to obtain parts with the car industry’s preferred high-gloss piano black finishes. She also notes the unwanted plasticising effect of BDP and RDP in PC alloys. “In a non-FR PC/ABS system, the HDT is around 120-130°C and BDP/RDP can reduce that to 85°C. The Nofia solution has no effect on the HDT. In PC/PBT, the HDT of a Nofia-based solution is 30°C higher than BDP/RDP solution.” Nofia has already shown advantages in PET fibre
and rPET, but Jiang says PET films and foams are now also proving to be key applications. In BOPET film for example, she says Nofia is the only flame- retardant system that can yield the highest UL94 VTM (Vertical Thin Material) rating of VTM-0 in a fully transparent film down to 15 microns. Other halogen-free FR additives can cause haze. The Nofia flame retardant can be added directly into the film extruder or used in a masterbatch.
Developing potential Other key applications for VTM-0 BOPET films include 5G components, EV batteries, numerous electronic devices, high-speed data transmission flat cables, and solar panels. The company says Nofia polymeric FRs can also function as master- batch carriers. As a lot of BOPET film requiring FR properties also needs to be black, the additive can be used as a carrier for carbon black, which Jiang says can result in a cost saving. Claiming to be the world’s largest supplier of sulphonate FR products for polycarbonates, Arichem says the technology is “uniquely suited to PC.” It says its products are specific to the chemistry
20 COMPOUNDING WORLD | December 2020
of how PC reacts to fire and are most often used at addition rates of less than 1%. The company says that its Arichem KSS-FR grade is already REACH registered and other Arichem FR products are in the process of registration. “Arichem’s FR products answer the call for halogen-free and are neither phosphorus nor metal hydrate based,” says the company. “With the recent inclusion of potassium perfluorobutane sulphonate (and higher alkyl analogues) in the EU SVHC listing, reformulations with Arichem KSS-FR are taking place at an increasing pace across the FR PC compounding industry.” According to Momentive, customers in many industries using FR plastics are seeking alternatives to traditional halogenated flame retardants in response to a wave of new regulations in both Europe and the US that seek to address several related concerns covering environment, health, safety and recycling. “Given these trends, silicone- based solutions appear attractive from both a performance and low toxicity point of view. In terms of the former, the silicone-oxygen-bond offers certain distinct advantages over more traditional carbon-carbon-bond based approaches, most importantly when it comes to maintaining good mechanical properties and flame retardancy characteristics,” the company says. “The greater length of the Si-O bond enables
greater permeability, the higher bond energy allows better stability, and the lower rotational barrier offers more flexibility. Combined, these differences lead to lower surface energies, better moisture, temperature and oxidation resistance, UV stability, biocompatibility and insulation proper- ties,” Momentive claims. At Techmer PM, Product Development Manager
Kaan Serpersu says the company is seeing in- creased demand in its key non-halogen and Oeko-Tex approved flame-retardant technology for the PET fibres market. “Traditional polymeric flame retardants for PET create numerous challenges in processing issues, mainly because of the low melting point of the flame retardant,” he says. “Techmer PM’s PTM112508 technology widens the process window allowing products to meet the most stringent specifications.” Serpersu says the technology, originally designed to meet the rigours of military apparel applications in accordance with ASTM D6413, can be designed for other specifications such as NFPA 701 and UL94. It is available in pellet form for easy implementation across various production processes. Huber Engineered Materials says it has been advancing its FR business on several fronts. First off,
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