Flame retardant compounds containing halogen

In general, tin compounds do not exhibit flame-retardant properties in halogen-free polymer systems, unless the composition contains a high inorganic filler loading. However, tin additives often act as smoke suppressants in non-halogenated polymers. 

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. 

Fire resistant PU are obtained by the addition or by introduction into the PU structure of special compounds, called flame retardants. The flame retardants are organic compounds containing halogens (chlorine, bromine) and phosphorus. Compounds of antimony (Sb) or boron [1-13] are rarely used. Sometimes inorganic compounds are used as flame retardants for PU, such as, hydrated alumina (Al203 nH20), Sb203 or ammonium polyphosphate [1-3, 14]. 

The oxidation that occurs in the vapour phase is a free radical process and additives that can trap radicals such as H , O, HO2 and OH may be useful as flame retardants. Halogen-containing compounds are an example of particularly good radical scavengers and thus halogenated organic compounds find extensive use in flame retarded compound formulations. 

Flame Retardants. Bromine compounds make up an important segment of the market for flame retardants used in polymers. Additive flame retardants are added to polymers during processing reactive flame retardants react chemically to become part of the polymer chain itself. In addition to the compounds Hsted in Table 3, a number of proprietary mixtures and phosphoms—bromine-containing flame retardants are also sold (see Elame RETARDANTS, HALOGENATED, FLAAffi RETARDANTS). 

BFRs are one of the last classes of halogenated compounds that are still being produced worldwide and used in high quantities in many applications. In order to meet fire safety regulations, flame retardants (FRs) are applied to combustible materials such as polymers, plastics, wood, paper, and textiles. Approximately 25% of all FRs contain bromine as the active ingredient. More than 80 different aliphatic, cyclo-aliphatic, aromatic, and polymeric compounds are used as BFRs. BFRs, such as polybrominated biphenyls (PBBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD), and tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), have been used in different consumer products in large quantities, and consequently they were detected in the environment, biota, and even in human samples [26, 27]. 

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. 

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