Flame Retardants

Flame Retardants

Flame retardants (FR) are chemical compounds added to prevent/delay the ignition/burning of plastic. To prevent combustion, it becomes necessary to design a thermally stable polymer that is less likely to decompose into flammable gases under heat stress.

However, thermally stable polymers can exhibit performance limitations and are often very expensive and difficult to process. This is why manufacturers add various flame retardants to give a plastic its flame resistance.

Bromines FRs, Organo Phosphorus FRs, Melamine based FRs, Metal Hydroxide FRs etc. There are several classes of chemical flame retardants used with polymers, including Apart from these chemical classes, there are other flame retardants that can be incorporated into a polymer. They can act as additives and reactive flame retardants.

Since the need to reduce the risk of fire is critical for many paper and textile applications, from home furnishings (upholstered furniture, curtains, mattresses, etc.), shipping (fabric seating, air and liquid filtration, and other components), building and construction materials (carpet and walls) and more, it is necessary to take precautions in many sectors. Each application has unique flame retardant needs, which presents formulators with unique challenges.