Fraunhofer WKI and DTNW Germany launch research into PIN FR intumescent coatings as safer alternative PIN FRs for wood surfaces in building construction.

The updated and final Risk Assessment of hexabromocyclododecane and the cyclic aliphatic bromide cluster (HBCD), published by the US Environmental Protection Agency on 29th December 2021, supersedes the use-specific no unreasonable risk determinations of the previous version (September 2020).

The 17th meeting of the POPs Review Committee of the Stockholm Convention adopted the Risk Profile of the halogenated flame retardant Dechlorane Plus, concluding that there is evidence for persistence, bioaccumulation and adverse effects on organisms and widespread environmental occurrence including in remote regions leading “to significant adverse human health and/or environmental effects such that global action is warranted”.

Metabolites of five OPFR (organophosphate ester flame retardants) TCEP, TCPP, TDCPP (chlorinated) and TBEP, TPhP (non-chlorinated) were analysed in samples of air from 18 megacities worldwide (Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling – Megacities programme).

A study of 1 194 persons aged 6 – 18 in Liuzhou, China, compared urinary levels of TCEP, BCIPHIPP, BDCIPP (chlorinated), DPHP, BBOEP, DoCP & DpCP (non-chlorinated) to systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Peter Mapleston, Compounding World and AMI, closed the session, underlining the interest of the dialogue, enabled by this hybrid session, between flame retardant and materials industries, present at the Fire Retardants in Plastics Conference, and global experts and operators involved in fire safety and in new energy systems.

Adrian Beard, Clariant, and pinfa panel moderator, underlined that PIN flame retardants can ensure fire safety of materials used in batteries and in accompanying cables and electrical systems, and can also improve electrical safety by ensuring insulation (e.g. CTI performance to prevent arcing).

Kazuo Ninomiya, Asahi Kasei, panellist for pinfa, noted that new regulations on battery fire safety are needed to drive development and deployment of high fire performance materials.

Corina Neumeister, Nabaltec, panellist for pinfa, noted that non-halogenated flame retardant solutions today exist for many energy applications, including for the specific performance and safety requirements of e.g. photovoltaics and electric vehicle charging systems, as well as for the specialist cables for these different systems.

Dirk Long, EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute), shared the ESA (Energy Storage Association) target of 100 GW of battery storage in the US electrical grid by 2030, to support grid resilience and roll-out of renewable production (PV, wind) and emphasised that safety is key to achieving this objective.

Yoon Ko, National Research Council Canada, further outlined specific fire challenges related to PV installations in buildings. PV systems can ignite because of electrical faults, moisture ingress leading to short-circuits or overheating.

Alexander Kuchner, CURRENTA Fire Technology, presented the results of fire testing of photovoltaic (PV) systems on roofs.

Eric Guillaume, Efectis, outlined specific fire risks of photovoltaic systems in buildings. The PV system itself can cause fires, through electrical faults, because of DC arcing, power mismatches with partial lighting, electrical faults in e.g. DC-AC inverters, or the PV system can be ignited by fires starting elsewhere.

Victoria Hutchison, Fire Protection Research Foundation (FPRF - NFPA, USA), outlined the fire safety challenges of new energy systems, underlining that fire safety regulations tend to be behind technological development and societal use.

Florian Tomiak, Institute of Polymer Technology, Germany, presented data testing expandable graphite in polyamide (PA6).

Günter Beyer, Fire & Polymer, Belgium, discussed nano organoclays as PIN FRs in LS0H formulations (Low Smoke Zero Halogen).

Fouad Laoutid, Materia Nova Research, Belgium, presented tests of several different phosphorus-containing nano-FRs.

Angela Schöffel, Georg H Luh, summarised developments in Expandable Graphite as a PIN flame retardant.

The Compound Company works closely with customers to develop and deliver bespoke performance thermoplastic solutions, by (reactive) extrusion, for applications including construction, technical engineering, Packaging, PV modules, cables.

MP3 is specialised worldwide in extrusion of polymer sheet and reel products, used in thermoforming, and the company offers customer-tailored solutions combining into one process extrusion of polymers, masterbatches and additives.

Fire safety requirements have increased significantly over recent years in cables, as a consequence of the European Construction Products Regulation, in particular today with no-dripping.

MCPP is a leading materials supplier to the automotive industry for thermoplastic elastomers used in seals, interior parts and wires and cables, as well as supplying consumer electronics and other sector with tailor-designed material solutions.

Abdullah Al-Mamun, Adler Pelzer, outlined the demanding requirements set by customers for FR engineering plastics for electric vehicles.

Michael Grosshauser, Fraunhofer LBF, summarised tests of ageing of cable compounds (polyethylene, EVA) with nano-clays.