Proposed regulatory text for update of Construction Products Regulation. To 1st June. Call for Evidence on restriction of the use of hazardous substances in electronics (RoHS Directive). To 2nd June 2022.

After the Felicity Ace car ship fire, leading car carrier Hyundai Glovis is increasing safety because of EV fire concerns. The Felicity Ace, carrying some 4 000 Volkswagen – Audi - Porsche – Lamborghini cars, estimated at over 400 million € value, sank near the Azores on 1st March 2022 after burning for a week.

Report says appropriate building materials could have prevented the Kiss Nightclub’s 242 fire deaths, Brazil Jan. 2013. The fire started when a firework lit by one of band playing on stage ignited sound insulation foam on the ceiling.

Ten people died and fourteen more were injured when a tourist coach burst into flames after a collision near Luxor, Egypt.

Nobody was injured in this spectacular natural gas powered bus fire, near Perugia, Italy, 16th April. Only the driver was on board.

Proposal to ban combustible cladding in renovations of high-rise buildings, unless sprinklers are fitted.

This NIST review analyses current knowledge on life cycle and environmental assessments of plastics, based on over 150 publications. It is noted that “FRs are usually ignored in plastics LCA studies”.

Independent chemical assessments for safer flame retardants for electronics targets PIN FRs. The Science-based NGO ChemFORWARD has announced that it is now working with Apple and Google to implement its SAFERTM (*) value-chain chemical hazard repository for PIN flame retardants in electronics.

pinfa member Asahi Kasei’s PIN FR mPPE shows application success in automotive, electronics, photovoltaics, and water installations.

Polyonics continues to improve its non-halogen flame-resistant labels for miniature, high-power electronics. Component and material labels in electronic equipment and batteries are essential to enable component and material identification, quality control, commercial traceability, maintenance and dismantling – recycling.

Solvay’s new halogen-free flame retarded PPA offers electrical, heat resistance and dimensional performance for EV drives. UL 94 V-0 (@ 0.4 mm) fire performance is achieved, CTI > 600 volts and heat resistance > 120°C, adapted for demanding conditions in electric vehicle motors, power electronics and transmission systems.

Polymer Compounders offers a range of non-halogenated FR PC/ABS, FR PC/ASA and polycarbonate blends for demanding customer applications.

A combination of allylamine polyphosphate (20%) and clay (2%) achieved UL-94 V0 (3.2 mm) in polypropylene, showing better fire performance than only APP (ammonium polyphosphate), APP + clay or only allylamine polyphosphate (AAPP).

Triazinyl 22% with organo-clay 3% achieved UL 94 V-0 (1.6 mm) in SLS-printed TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). TPU with 25% aluminium diethyl phosphonate (AlPi) was also tested (but not AlPi plus clay).

A complex, magnetic iron – zinc compound was lab tested to adsorb copper ions then tested as an FR coating for PU foam. An iron – zinc – ammonium compound (FeO-ZIF8) was synthetised from magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles, zinc nitrate and 2-methylimidazole.

The bio-polymer chitosan, modified with nitrogen, was used with the PIN FR DOPO, achieving UL 94 V-0 (3.2 mm) in epoxy. Chitosan is the second most abundant bio-polymer, after cellulose, and the most abundant organic compound containing nitrogen, and can be sourced e.g. from seafood wastes.

Chitosan reacted with phosphoric acid was tested as a liquid PIN FR for natural fibres used to reinforce vinyl ester resin. Chitosan solution, prepared using acetic acid, was phosphorus-loaded by reacting with phosphoric acid.

Neat PC/ABS, polymer + anti-dripping agent PTFE, polymer + PTFE + 10% loading of six different aryl phosphate PIN FRs (TPP, CDP, RDP, BTPP, BTP, Sol-DP) were tested for fire performance, smoke emission and smoke toxicity as per EN 45545-2.

Analysis of over 100 studies and publications covers 18 OPEs, which are used as plasticisers and/or flame retardants. Conclusions are that OPEs are widespread in oceans and in the atmosphere, both in coastal waters near industrial regions, and also in remote oceans and polar regions.

Updated certification for IT equipment again restricts halogenated substances and authorises safer PIN FRs. The TCO Certified Generation9, the health, environment and worker protection label for office and home electronics, is updated to further address sustainability of raw material supply, circularity and lifetime extension, as well as now covering chemicals used in IT manufacture (not only chemicals present in the final product).

The European General Court has validated the EU Ecodesign Regulation ban on halogenated FRs in TV and monitor cases. The Court has dismissed a challenge brought by BSEF, an industry group whose members are four companies manufacturing brominated flame retardants FRs (Br-FRs).

To 1st June. The EU has published for comment the proposed text of the revised Construction Products Regulation (CPR). pinfa already made input during the preparatory phases, see pinfa Newsletter n°21

Draft update to BAT will require consideration of substitution of brominated flame retardants for textiles finishing. Under the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), EU Best Available Techniques (BAT) specifications, where defined, are legally applicable to all concerned industry installations in Europe. pinfa made detailed input to the process of updating the textiles industry BAT reference document (BREF) in 2020 (see pinfa Newsletter n°114).

To 12th April. Proposals to coordinate different chemicals assessment procedures and improve chemical data access. As part of the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability, the Commission proposes to streamline chemicals assessments by various EU agencies (chemicals ECHA, food safety EFSA, environment EEA and medicines EMA) as well as EU expert groups, scientific committees and contractor studies.