Environmentally friendly flame retardants

Lan, T., Nanomer nanoclay as flame retardation additives, Environmentally Friendly Flame Retardants -Intertech Pira, July 19, 2007. (http //www.nanocor.com/techpapers.asp). 

The concept of sustainable development requires fire retardant technologies to be developed that have a minimum impact on health and the environment throughout the life cycle of the fire-resistant material Starting from its synthesis, via fabrication, use, and recycling to its final disposal. Therefore, the search for new environmentally friendly flame retardant polymeric materials is of large current interest. 

Nitrogen compounds are a small but rapidly growing group of flame retardants which are in the focus of public interest concerning environmentally friendly flame retardants. Today, their main applications are melamine for polyurethane flexible foams, melamine cyanurate in nylons, melamine phosphates in polyolefins, melamine and melamine phosphates or dicyandiamide in intumescent paints, guanidine phosphates for textiles and guanidine sulfamate for wallpapers. 

Bob A. Howell, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Applications in Polymer Science at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. His research interests include the development of nontoxic, environmentally friendly flame retardants based on renewable biosources as well as new polymeric fuel-cell membranes, polymerization techniques, thermal methods of analysis, polymer-supported organoplatinum antitumor agents, and polymers from renewable sources. 

Zinc borate is considered as an environmentally friendly flame retardant and also as a smoke-suppressant. It is used as an... 

When used purely as an insulator, foam densities can be as low as 0.02 to 0.08 g/cm3. In structural applications the foam s density can rise to 0.4 to 0.7 g/cm3. The use of fluorocarbons as blowing agents has largely given way to more environmentally friendly agents, such as low molecular weight hydrocarbons. We can impart flame retardancy by incorporating chlorine-or phosphorus-based compounds. 

IKEA www.ikea.com Despite being the juggernaut it is, IKEA supports the use of environmentally friendly, sustainable, and recycled materials and has an environmental policy that doesn t allow the use of PVC, formaldehyde-based glues, brominated flame retardants, or other toxins. Green Home Environmental www.greenhome.com White Lotus whitelotus.net C. G. Sparks ... 

Futons are often much cheaper than organic mattresses and box springs. If you decide to get one, try to find a frame made from untreated, certified wood. They re often sold with untreated, organic cotton or wool mattresses, which might require a doctor s prescription. Some natural (nonorganic) futon mattresses are made from green cotton (which is environmentally friendly conventional cotton, harvested without the use of chemicals) and contain nontoxic borate powder as their flame retardant. This is obviously preferable to PBDE. Top-of-the-line organic crib mattresses are less expensive than adult ones. Expect to spend between 250 and 600. 

Smith, R. Georlette, P Finberg, I. Reznick, G. Development of environmental friendly multifunctional flame retardants for commodity and engineering plastics. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 1996, 54(2-3), 167-173. 

This chapter has provided a concise account of an important type of flame retardants based on silicon. This class of flame retardants may provide an opportunity to develop systems for fire retardancy that are environmentally friendly. It seems that there is a growing interest in this type of flame retardant, and this trend most likely will continue, given the increasing concern over the release of the halogenated species into the environment. 

Sugita, K., Inoue, T., and Watanabe, K., Development of environmental-friendly cab tire cable applying a novel flame retardant. Thermoplastic Elastomer, Hitachi Cable (in Japanese), 27, 5-8 (2008). 

In the last few decades, with the growing public concerns about fire hazardous, environmental risks, cleaner surrounding and safe/healthy life style, considerable efforts have been made to develop an eco-friendly/green new generation of flame retardants to replace the restricted hazardous or banned ones [3,4,49, 50]. 

Chem. Descrip. Aluminum hydroxide CAS 21645-51-2 EINECS/ELINCS 244-492-7 Uses Filler, flame retardant for polyester resins (SMC, BMC, laminates, artificial marble), epoxy, acrylic, PU (flexible and rigid foam, castings), latexes (carpetbacking), crosslinked elastomers (cables, flooring), aq. disps., paints, varnishes, powd. coatings Properties Powd. 15-25 pm median particle size dens. 2.4 g/cc bulk dens. = 900 kg/m oil absorp. 18-22 cc/100 g brightness (TAPPI) = 90 ref. index 1.58 pH 9 1 conduct. < 120 pS/cm 99.6% act. Environmental Environmentally friendly Martinal ON-904 [Martinswerk GmbH Lonza]... 

Other types of plasticizers are used according to the requirements related to properties (e.g., low temperature properties, flame retarding properties, etc.). Epoxidized soybean oil continues to be an important plasticizer of maity formulations because it plays a dual role of a secondary plasticizer ard a secondary stabilizer. Trimellitates seem to gain more applications due to their biocompatibility and environmentally friendly nature. 

The development of flame retardant additives for polymeric materials that could simultaneously promote both gas-phase and solid-phase types of action could result in products that are both more cost-effective and more environmentally-friendly than those currently in use [69]. These include bromoanilino triazine derivatives and bromoaryl phosphates. Both have the potential to display both solid-phase and gas-phase FR activity. These were evaluated by a variety of thermal methods. Some of these compounds had the potential to display dual functional behaviour as FR, i.e., to maintain the good gas phase activity associated with organohalogen compounds while, at the same time promoting the development of protective char at the solid phase. 

Environmentally friendly, bio-based flame retardant epoxy resins have been reported from a di-epoxy fatty compound, 10-[2, 5 -bis(9-oxiranyl-nonayloxy) phenyl]-9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-l 0-oxide (Rg. 7.5a) and epoxidised 10-undecenoyl triglyceride and epoxidised methyl-3, 4, 5-tris(10-undecenoyloxy)benzoate (Hg. 7.5b and c). The limiting oxygen index (LOI) values of the cured products indicate good flame retardant behaviour owing to the formation of a protective phosphorous-rich layer which slows down degradation and protected the products. 

Depending on the distribution of micro/nanofiller in the polymer matrix, the composites may be classified as microcomposites or nanocomposites. These two types of composites differ significantly with respect to their properties. The nanocomposites show improved properties compared to pure polymer or that of microcomposites. It started only back in 1990, when Toyota research group showed that the use of montmorillonite can improve the mechanical, thermal, and flame retardant properties of polymeric materials without hampering the optical translucency behaviour of the matrix. Since then, the majority of research has been focused in improving the physicochemical properties, e.g. mechanical, thermal, electrical, barrier etc. properties of polymer nanocomposites using cost effective and environmental friendly nanofillers with the aim of extending the applications of these materials in automotive, aerospace, construction, electronic, etc. as well as their day to day life use. The improvements in the majority of their properties have invariably been attributed... 

Attempts have been made over the years to harmonise the standards for flame retardant systems and to produce environmentally friendly products. 

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