Flame halogen-containing

Usage of phosphoms-based flame retardants for 1994 in the United States has been projected to be 150 million (168). The largest volume use maybe in plasticized vinyl. Other use areas for phosphoms flame retardants are flexible urethane foams, polyester resins and other thermoset resins, adhesives, textiles, polycarbonate—ABS blends, and some other thermoplastics. Development efforts are well advanced to find appHcations for phosphoms flame retardants, especially ammonium polyphosphate combinations, in polyolefins, and red phosphoms in nylons. Interest is strong in finding phosphoms-based alternatives to those halogen-containing systems which have encountered environmental opposition, especially in Europe. 

Finely divided magnesium or aluminium hydroxides (or a 3 1 combination) are currently the best smoke suppressants. They also neutralise the acidic vapours produced from halogen-containing flame inhibiters. The more finely divide they are the more efficient they become. 

AS A FLAME RETARDANT. The zinc borate is an efficient synergist of organic halogen sources. In certain halogen-containing systems such as unsaturated polyester, epoxy (3), and rigid PVC, the zinc borate alone can outperform antimony oxide as shown by the Oxygen Index and UL-94 tests (Fig. 3, 4, and 5). 

In halogen-containing polymers, the multifunctional zinc borate can function as a flame retardant, smoke suppressant, and afterglow suppressant. 

The function of halogen-containing compounds as flame retardants has been explained by the radical trap theory. Liberated halogen acid (HX) competes in the above reactions for those radical species that are critical for flame propagation. 

Reduction of polymer flammability is of broad interest for applications ranging from plastics to textiles. For polyesters, given their inherent instability towards water at elevated temperatures, and the high temperatures of manufacture, many classes of flame-retardant (FR) agents, including most halogen-containing materials, are impractical. Phosphate esters, capable of incorporation into the polymer backbone, were pioneered by Hoechst AG, and continue to be the materials of choice [84, 85],... 

A series of flame retardant additives for ABS have been discussed, including halogen containing flame retardants, as well as halogen free flame retardants. The latter are being preferred for environmental reasons, however, only a few are as effective as halogen containing flame retardants. For ABS blends, some flame retardants (20) have been described that are summarized in Table 8.9. 

Fe203 and Fe304 in presence of a chloride source act as flame retardants for nitrile-containing plastics and rubbers such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers.52 The activity appears to be connected with the formation of FeCl3 on combustion, but other properties of FeCl3 itself make it unsuitable for direct use. If an alkyl chloride is present iron(II) citrate may be used, and for halogen-containing nitrile polymers acetates, stearates, sulfates and carbonates are effective. 

The evidence for the action of halogen and halogen antimony compounds in the gaseous phase is well established however halogen-containing flame-retardant systems are often twofold systems providing radical action inhibition in the gaseous phase and, at the same time inhibition in the condensed phase as will be seen in the next section. 

The traditional halogen fire retardants used in styrenic copolymers are decabromodiphenyl ether and octabromodiphenyl ether, tetrabromobisphenol A, bis(tribromophenoxy) ethane, ethylene bis-tetrabromophthalimide, and chlorinated paraffins. Actually the octabromodiphenyl ether has been banned on precautionary principles, as will be explained below. The fire-retardant capabilities of the more effective halogen-containing compounds are in line with the quantity of halogen in the final polymer blend, with consideration for the use of synergists. Thus, the practical utility of these flame-retardant compounds (once the issue of degradation temperature is resolved) is often based on their ability to be blended into the polymer and to not substantially affect the physical properties of the polymers. 

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