MATERIALS | FLAME RETARDANTS
Green energy shift raises fire concern
The move from fossil fuels is giving rise to a new set of challenges for suppliers of associated equipment, whether it be batteries for EVs or solar panels for houses. The Cefic sector group for flame retardants, PINFA (Phosphorus, Inorganic & Nitrogen Flame Retardants Association), says new energy systems are bringing new fire safety challenges. Photovoltaics are not particularly
fire-prone, but they are a potential fire cause – inverters in particular. “High performance FR solutions are needed to ensure fire resistance of panel backings, cables and electronic
systems, with resistance to UV and weathering,” PINFA says. “The EU’s report on Ecolabel and Green Public Purchasing criteria for PV [May 2021] considers both fire safety and halogen
Below: The PolyStyrene- Loop demon- stration plant for recycling PS building insulating foam and removing HBCD flame retardant
based at ICL Terneuzen (NL), which is said to allow recovery of the elemental bromine and the safe destruction of the HBCD. The recovered bromine is used to produce a new polymeric flame retardant (FR-122P), which can be re-used in the same application. The plant in Terneuzen will not be able to treat all the PS-foam demolition waste containing HBCD produced in Europe. PSL says many more plants will need to be built in the years to come and says it is currently in discussions with investors for a second. In a related move, Agilyx Corp, which has developed a chemical recycling technology for post-use plastics, said in July it had reached a significant milestone in collaboration with an undisclosed strategic technology partner that will allow for the recycling of brominated flame retardant-laden polystyrene into a high purity styrene monomer for direct use in downstream products including PS, EPS, ABS, SBR, SAN and unsaturated polyester resins. “The integrated technologies of Agilyx depoly-
Left: The EU’s report on Ecolabel and Green Public Purchasing of photovoltaics considers the fire risk of PV systems
content, showing that tomorrow’s FR solutions will need to ensure both fire and material performance and green credentials.” �
www.pinfa.eu
merisation open the pathway for previously unrecycled materials, such as construction foam and insulation, to be put back into use as new materials at a quality level equivalent to those manufactured from any other styrene monomer,” says Agilyx CEO Tim Stedman. “The ability to recycle flame retardant-laden polystyrene not only allows this contaminated material to be part of a sustainable recycling value chain, but it will open up new markets that were previously closed due to the contamination associated with these materials.”
Regulatory challenges
With all these technical developments going on, industry representative bodies continue to push back against legislation in Europe intended to restrict the use of brominated flame retardants. In July, BSEF, the Brussels-based trade association representing the international bromine industry, issued a state- ment in which it said it “categorically rejects the facile suggestion of the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) that all brominated flame retardants be listed as Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). The suggestion has no regulatory basis and lacks any credible science to support it.” BSEF says bromine stands out from other elements used in flame retardants such as phospho- rus, nitrogen, magnesium and aluminium, “as it’s the most efficient in gas phase fire quenching reactions.” In its statement, it said: “Recently the EEB issued
an updated set of ‘tests’ for improving EU chemical management processes with the objective of supporting substitution, protecting human health and the environment. Test 8 called on ECHA (the European Chemicals Agency) to ‘accelerate the
36 COMPOUNDING WORLD | December 2021
www.compoundingworld.com
IMAGE: POLYSTYRENELOOP
IMAGE: PINFA
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