Jim Innes, Flame Retardant Associates – Jim Innes sees society’s need for flame retardants to expand, as buildings and equipment contain increasing loads of flammable materials. Tomorrow’s automobile will contain critical potential ignition sources (batteries, high current power supply) as well as plastics in electronics, bodywork and motors, so FRs will be critical to ensure fire safety.
Safety standards for construction, electrical, electronic and other markets will also require more FR solutions. Tomorrow’s FR solutions, to ensure both fire performance and mechanical-electrical properties, will need polymer specific, tailored FR systems to address the processing challenges. Mineral FRs and char-generating PIN FRs are effective in reducing smoke emission, and FR performance can often be improved with carefully selected synergists. For example, nano-synergists can improve char formed by generating a better refractory layer that reflects heat.
Flame Retardants Associates provides market development and technology expertise to FR and FR compound producers and processers since 1992.