Femke Faelens notes increasing need for fire safety treatment of floor covering and textile products, in particular in markets such as automobile, commercial premises and hotels, and in higher end markets. Customers are tending to push for non-halogen products, in order to achieve low smoke requirements in regulations, or because this is demanded by environmental labels such as Cradle to Cradle or Ökotex. Important challenges are to find flame retardant solutions for polypropylene or polyamide fibres, with low loadings and compatible with processing of thin fibres (fine dispersion needed), which do not compromise mechanical performance and aesthetics of fibres and which are cost-effective. New FR additives, and particularly their combination with innovative synergists may enable these objectives with low addition levels. The AMI FRiP conference enables to meet suppliers of these different products and experts to better understand what is today available and how different PIN FRs and synergists function.
Beaulieu International Group, headquartered in Belgium, employs more than 5 000 people worldwide with 27 production sites and distribution centres in 16 countries. The company is a world leader in floor coverings, and has business units in polypropylene polymers and engineered fibres and textiles. www.bintg.com