‘Compounding World’ magazine published a 7 page special article, which includes visions of plastics industry experts on innovation challenges for polymer fire safety and flame retardants. The overview of flame retardant developments underlines the triple challenge of increasing market demand, tightening performance demands and environmental challenges. The global market for flame retardants is expected to grow at 5-10% yearly over the coming decade.
Regulators are pushing for increasing fire safety, requiring products to resist ignition and to burn with lower heat release in order to delay ‘flashover’ and increase escape time for building occupants and reducing risks for fire fighters. At the same time, FRs must respond to environment and health requirements, including end-of-life requirements, and addressing impacts of smoke and soot on fire professionals. Interviews include Adeka, Huber Engineered Materials, Fraunhofer LBF, Nabaltec, NKAB Minerals, Polymer Dynamix, Paxymer, Thor, MPI Chemie, Daihachi Chemical, ICL, Chemtura and pinfa.
“Fighting fire on every front”, Peter Mapleston, 7 pages, Compounding World, December 2015 http://content.yudu.com/A3y4ga/CWDec15/resources/17.htm