Buket Turan, Eurotec Engineering Plastics, explained that plastics enable weight reduction (so energy efficiency) in transport applications, as well as noise reduction and design flexibility. However, their flammability means that fire risk must be addressed using flame retardants.
The leading cause of death in public transport fires is smoke toxicity, in particular because of carbon monoxide. Fire standards limit smoke toxicity and smoke density, e.g. the European railway standard EN45545, UK underground BS6853, aviation FAR 25.853. Non-halogenated flame retardants enable to achieve these
Eurotec has developed specific HFFR (halogen-free flame retardant) formulations, in e.g. polyamide or polycarbonate, to meet public transport fire performance standards (including UL94, horizonal and vertical burning, burning dripping), low weight, mechanical performance and stress resistance, aesthetic quality, as well as low smoke density, low smoke toxicity standards.
For Eurotec Engineering Plastics, the sustainability advantages of non-halogenated flame retardants also make them tomorrow’s solution in e-mobility and consumer applications.