ADDITIVES | FLAME RETARDANTS
Figure 3: Investigation of upcycling of recycled PA6 compounds containing melamine cyanurate flame retardant Source: Fraunhofer LBF
ADK Stab FP-2500S is intended for use in polyolefins, where it protects by producing a thermally insulating char that suppresss toxic gas emissions. The company claims that its ADK Stab FP-2000 series is the only functional material to have received the UL Verified mark, which indicates that claims made by the brand owner have been validated by UL. It says that tests carried out according to ISO 5659-2 and EN17084 method 1 specified in the in European standard on fire protection in railway vehicles EN45545 show that PP compounds containing the additive are suitable for railway applications. Tests to ASTM E662 in NFPA130 show that ADK Stab FP-2500S in PP/glass fibre or in LDPE can prevent dripping in the vertical test and allow significant smoke reduction.
Combined expertise In July BASF and Thor said they were combining their expertise in non-halogenated flame retardant additives to provide customers with a comprehen- sive solution that will enhance the sustainability and performance for specific plastic compounds, as well as meeting stringent fire safety requirements. BASF says the two companies have collaborated for many years in developing solutions to meet the demanding flame retardant specifications, with a focus on alternatives to halogen containing additives. The combined expertise in flame retardant additives will provide customers and end- users with information highlighting the synergistic benefits of BASF’s halogen-free flame Flamestab retardant when used with Thor’s Aflammit phos- phonate-based technologies for polyolefins. It says this is typically a challenging flame resistance application. Meanwhile, Prof Rudolf Pfaendner at Fraunhofer LBF says the German research organisation is
24 COMPOUNDING WORLD | December 2022
tackling development of next generation flame retardants in a couple of applied research projects. Researchers led by Dr Elke Metzsch-Zilligen and Dr Frank Schönberger are addressing megatrends in electromobility and circular economy. “Objectives are optimised flame retarded thermoplastics for high-voltage applications and the reduction of the carbon footprint in FR plastics,” he says. “The latter is achieved by novel flame retardants and additive packages for upcycling post-consumer/post-indus- trial recyclates or by developing new bio-derived flame retardants for both petrochemical and biobased polymers.” In a collaborative project with industrial partners including Clariant, BASF, Brüggemann, and Radici, the fundamentals of high-voltage tracking of flame-retardant engineering thermoplastics are being investigated, Pfaendner says. In another, upcycling of various types of thermoplastic recyclate with commercially available halogen-free flame retardants is being investigated and tailored for specific applications such as cable insulation and E&E housings (Figure 3). “Although most industrial halogen-free FR
formulations show good recyclability in multiple extrusion and aging with regard to maintenance of flame retardancy, loss in mechanical properties can be a challenge,” Pfaendner says. “For example, melamine cyanurate flame retarded PA6 shows mo- lecular weight degradation (MVR increase) and consequently significant reduction of elongation at break. By adding a repair additive (1%), mechanical properties can be fully regained together with achieving UL 94 V-0 classification.” Novel flame retardants based on ionic liquids
from Inovia Materials are now being used in grades of PMMA from compounder Mocom that are said to show transparency on a par with that of
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