New Report On Global Markets For Flame Retardant Chemicals

According to a new technical market research report, Flame Retardant Chemicals: Technologies and Global Markets from BCC Research (http://www.bccresearch.com), global consumption for flame retardant chemicals reached 3.9 billion lbs in 2012 and is expected to grow to 4 billion lbs by 2013. BCC Research projects consumption to reach nearly 5.2 billion lbs by 2018, and register a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5%.

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the total cost of fire in the U.S. is defined as a combination of the losses caused by fire and the money spent on fire prevention, efforts to prevent the worst losses by preventing them and the use of quick suppression when fires do occur. That cost reached about $363 billion by 2012 and is projected to be 2.5% to 3.0% of gross domestic product (GDP).

Government regulations require manufacturers to add flame retardant chemicals to a wide range of everyday products. Ironically, many of these chemicals, which are meant to save lives and protect property from damage caused by fires, have themselves been proven harmful to humans and the environment. New technology is being introduced into this market and, although these products cannot always replace the chemicals that have been deemed as toxic, they are expected to gain market share over the next five years.

The leaders in this less toxic chemicals approach for flame-retarding materials may be nanocomposites and more advanced synergistic formulations. BCC Research expects these new and innovative chemicals and synergistic combinations to have strong growth rates amongst other flame retardant chemicals. Many of these new chemicals or combinations have not yet found a single market but are being tried out in a spectrum of markets and circumstances.

Using an effective synergist chemical nanocomposite can often increase the effectiveness of certain flame retardants and reduce the input quantity of flame retardants materials. The markets for flame retardant chemicals are being driven by cost, performance, and the push towards more green and non-toxic products.

This report from BCC Research provides an overview of the worldwide market size, growth, and trends for this important and specialized industrial segment of chemicals. The report reviews global markets for specific flame retardant chemicals and forecasts trends and sales in these markets through 2018. The major applications and industries using these special flame-retarding products are also discussed in this report.

GLOBAL CONSUMPTION OF FLAME RETARDANT CHEMICALS, 2008-2018

The report reviews the regulations driving this market and takes a look at the disasters that have occurred due to lack of flame retardant material usage. In addition, this comprehensive analysis provides estimates of market share by product application and chemical types, and includes regional consumption by chemical and by application. The report also provides information on industry structure and major companies in this market.

This report is intended for decision makers involved in the marketing, sales, and strategic planning for companies supplying flame retardants to customers or for those companies that are required by law to use flame retardants. This technical marketing report will also assist end users of flame retardants and flame-retarding products, and those needing further information about this industry.

Source: http://www.bccresearch.com

FRX Polymers Opens First Full Scale Commercial Plant to Manufacture Halogen Free Flame Retardant Polymers

FRX Polymers®  announced the opening of its Antwerp manufacturing plant dedicated to the production of halogen free polyphosphonate flame retardant (FR) plastics. The first full scale commercial plant will focus on supplying Nofia® polyphosphonates – FRX Polymers’ line of homopolymer, copolymer, and oligomer FR materials.

Nofia inherently flame retardant plastics and additives address the end-users’ need for more environmentally friendly and less toxic flame retardants. Nofia can be used to enhance flame retardancy with little impact on the inherent characteristics of the targeted polymer or resin. In several engineering resin systems, Nofia retains transparency and enables processability. Nofia polyphosphonates increase the product developer’s toolbox by providing flame retardancy with other desirable characteristics due to its polymer form. For example, Nofia polyphosphonates have demonstrated use in flame retarding biorenewable polymers and recycled fibers and plastics providing a good balance of properties.

The new plant will address the growing demand for Nofia products from multiple markets including electronic devices, lighting and fixtures, fiber for commercial textiles, automotive, aerospace and building and construction… Read more: Click here

Formulation and fire behaviour of bio-based composites- Ph.D. Thesis Defence- 8 November 2013

Gaelle Dorez will defend her PhD thesis entitled: Formulation and fire behaviour of bio-based composites

Date: 8 November 2013

Location: Ecole des Mines d’Alès- France

ABSTRACT:

The environmental awareness in the society is increasing and leads to a strong demand in material from renewable resources, such as biocomposites. The thermal sensitivity and the flammability restrict their use for certain applications such as building. The fire safety regulation is of prime importance and requires adapted solutions to be found to improve the fire behavior of these materials.

In this context, we have studied the thermal degradation and the fire behavior of natural fibers and particularly the effect of its components on the fire behavior. Then, we studied the reactivity of four moieties (amine, carboxylic acid, alkoxisilane and phosphonic acid) on the natural fibers. The grafting characterization was carried out with original techniques based on thermal degradation. Then, we are interested on the thermal degradation and the fire behaviour of biocomposites. We studied the fire behaviour of biocomposite based on PBS and natural fibers varying different parameters such as the amount of fibers, the type of natural fibers and the influence of phosphonated fire retardants. Two fireproofing strategies have been tested: the addition in polymer matrix and the grafting on natural fibers of fire retardant. To go further in the fireproofing strategy by fire retardant grafting, we have compared the influence of the grafting of phosphonated  molecule versus phosphonated macromolecules on the fire behaviour of flax and PBS/flax biocomposite.

Keywords: biocomposites; natural fibers; surface modification; phosphonated compound; fire behavior.

For more information, please contact:  Gaelle.Dorez@mines-ales.fr

Solvay-New Series of Halogen-Free Flame Retardant Polyamides for Smart Mobile Devices

Solvay Specialty Polymers has expanded its Kalix® high-performance polyamide (HPPA) product line with the introduction of a new series of halogen-free flame retardant (HFFR) materials offered for use in structural parts for smart mobile devices such as tablets, laptops, and other smart mobile electronics. The newly launched Kalix® HPPA 5000 series complements Solvay’s new portfolio of biobased Kalix® HPPAs for mobile devices which was also introduced today at K 2013 (Hall 6 Stand C61), the 19th International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber Worldwide, which runs Oct. 16-23, in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Kalix® 5950 HFFR has received an Underwriters Laboratories (UL) 94 flammability rating of V0 for electrical/electronics applications for thicknesses of 0.4 mm and above and 5VA at thicknesses of 1.5 mm and above (both ratings for all colors). The 50% glass fiber-reinforced grade, based on a variant of MXD6 polyamide, provides greater mechanical properties than competing HFFR polyamides and serves as an alternative to metals like aluminum and magnesium… Read more

Report- FLAME RETARDANT ALTERNATIVES FOR HEXABROMOCYCLODODECANE (HBCD)-September 2013

This report provides information on hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) used as a flame retardant in polystyrene building insulation, its possible substitutes, and alternative materials.

The report was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with input from a partnership of stakeholders from business, government, academia, and environmental organizations. According to technical experts on the Partnership, between 2011 and 2013 there were only two viable flame retardant alternatives to HBCD for use in expanded and extruded polystyrene foam (EPS and XPS) insulation under current manufacturing processes. Alternative materials are also available as substitutes to HBCD-containing insulation. These alternatives may require additive flame retardants or other treatment to meet fire safety requirements… Read more…Donload Report

 

 

Perspectives for flame retardants and fire safety at FRPM- special number of PINFA newsletter

A special number of PINFA newsletter is now available.

Download pdf format: click here

 

This Newsletter provides a summary of some of the conference content and short comments and positions collected from speakers at FRPM, with the aim of giving a vision of possible future developments in flameretardant technologies and applications, and their contribution to public safety.

Recycling of non-metallic fractions of printed circuit boards & Brominated Flame retardants

There is a big waste generation nowadays due to the growing demand for innovation and the fact that more and more products have a reduced lifetime, increasing the volume of dumps and landfills. Currently, one of the segments of large volume is the technology waste, which reflects on the printed circuit boards (PCBs) that are the basis of the electronics industry. This type of waste disposal is difficult, given that recycling is complex and expensive, because of the diversity of existing materials and components, and their difficult separation process.
Regarding the material involved in PCBs, there are metal fractions (MFs) and non-metallic fractions (NMFs), of which the recycling of NMFs is one of the most important and difficult processes, because they amount to about 70% of the weight of the PCB’s waste. In the present paper, a literature review of the recycling of non-metallic fractions (NMFs) has been carried out, showing different studies and guidelines regarding this type of recycling, emphasizing that this type of waste still lacks for further application… Read more: click here

Polymer-clay nanocomposites thermal stability: Experimental evidence of the radical trapping effect

This article was published online 01 Oct 2013 in RSC advances.

The radical trapping flame retardant mechanism of polymer-clay nanocomposites is frequently claimed to be responsible for improving the thermal stability of polymers. However it had so far never been demonstrated. Herein using in situ time-resolved X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS) we present experimental evidence that Fe3+ embedded in the clay can act as electron acceptors during polymer thermal decomposition. Therefore it contributes to improve the polymer thermal stability. Read more…

 

%d bloggers like this: