NEWS
Textile FR innovation
Invited participant at the pinfa General Assembly, Thomas Mayer-Gall, DTNW (German Textile Research Centre North-West), presented innovations under development for PIN FRs for textiles, and indicated the institute’s interest to associate with pinfa.
READ MORENFPA fire safety of items “adjacent to buildings”
The NFPA (US National Fire Protection Association) standards committees NFPA 101 and NFPA 5000 (Life Safety Code, Building Construction and Safety Code) have agreed to extend fire safety standards to cover combustible objects “adjacent to buildings”, such as furniture and artificial vegetation.
READ MORESingapore tightens buildings fire safety regulations
Over 500 buildings will have to upgrade fire safety to respect proposed changes in the Fire Safety Act. The proposals also introduce new offences for contractors and for suppliers of non-compliant materials, with fines up to 100 000 S$ and two years imprisonment.
READ MOREUS Codes for “Fire Retardant Treated Wood” FRTW
After a number of years of discussion, agreement has been reached to clarify fire safety testing requirements for Fire Retardant Treated Wood (FRTW), that is wood which is impregnated with fire safety products (usually in a pressure treatment).
READ MOREFAA proposed changes to aircraft fire safety rules
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is currently considering proposed changes to fire protection regulations for aircraft interiors.
READ MOREUK plans update to Furniture Fire Safety Regulations
The UK Government has published (July 2019) its response to the 2017 public consultation on the updating of the 1988 UK Furniture Fire Safety Regulations (see pinfa Newsletter n°74).
READ MOREUK Government positions on furniture FRs, chemicals
The UK Government has published detailed response to the UK Parliamentary report recommendations on chemicals in consumer products (“Toxic Chemicals in Everyday Life”, see pinfa Newsletter n°104).
READ MORENGOs attacks FRs in TV brands
A media release from three US environment NGOs claims that “hazardous” flame retardants were found in analysis of casings of six FireTVs (Insignia and Toshiba, purchased from Best Buy and from Amazon in the USA).
READ MOREEU Fire Safety Week – Fire Safety of Buildings
As part of the European Fire Safety Week 2019, the Modern Buildings Alliance (MBA) organised a meeting on building fire safety, with participants from the European Commission and the European Parliament, as well as experts and stakeholders.
READ MOREUrban fire risk in developing countries
A paper from Indonesia underlines the threat of fire for high-density urban areas, with risks of both deaths and injuries, and considerable loss of both residential housing and economic activity.
READ MOREPilgrims die in train and bus fires
74 people died in a fire on a train in Pakistan, Punjab Province, traveling from Karachi to Rawalpindi, on 31st October.
READ MOREFRs compatible with TV plastics recycling
A study (two papers) from Belgium (1), shows that phosphorus flame retardants in LCD TV back covers are compatible with an optimal recycling strategy, identified as dismantling, take-back of the covers and reprocessing to new E&E parts.
READ MOREOverview of plastics recycling
A review from Australia summarises different routes for plastics recycling and current technology developments.
READ MORENeste, Ravago & Remondis to recycle plastics
Neste, a leader in renewables, has announced plans to chemically recycle 200 000 t/y of waste plastics back to chemicals feedstock.
READ MORECeramifying polymer coating
Finnester Coatings has launched a fire protection coating HybridRED which offers external weather resistance, low smoke and toxicity, fire performance and exceptional aesthetic quality.
READ MOREBio-based reactive phosphorus FR for epoxy
Furfural is a natural aldehyde chemical found in or derived from non-food, lignocellulose materials such as wheat bran, corn cobs and sawdust (furfur = latin for bran).
READ MOREGas phase FR effects of aluminium – phosphorus FRs
A research study analyses the differing gas phase fire-inhibition effects of two different aluminium – phosphorus PIN FRs (AHP aluminium hypophosphite, from Qingzhou Yichao Chemicals, and AlPi aluminium diethylphosphinate, from pinfa member Clariant) at 10% loading in PBT (polybutylene terephthalate).
READ MOREMagnesium – AlPi synergy in polyamide
Micron-sized magnesium oxide (MgO <75 µm) at 0 – 0.5 % loading, and AlPi (aluminium diethylphosphinate) at 0 – 14 % loading, were tested as synergistic PIN FRs in polyamide PA66, after extrusion and injection.
READ MOREAlPi as PIN FR for rigid polyurethane foam
Aluminium diethylphosphinate was tested at 0 – 11 % loading in rigid polyurethane foam (PUR), produced by one-step mixing, water blowing.
READ MOREpinfa and Cefic
Jonathan Crozier, pinfa and Cefic, outlined the new needs for flame retardants in plastics in emobility. Electric vehicles are currently less than 2% of the world automotive market (but nearly 5% in China), but growth is expected to exceed 70% per year.
READ MOREICL-IP
Lein Tange, ICL-IP, set the scene for the discussion with a summary of the challenges and opportunities for recycling technical plastics and a presentation of several European R&D and pilot industrial recycling projects. The EU WEEE Directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment 2012/19/EU) obliges to separate out plastics containing brominated flame retardants.
READ MOREInstitute for Testing and Certification (Czech Republic)
Franky Puype, Institute for Testing and Certification (Czech Republic), presented the analysis of brominated flame retardants in 3 consumer goods made of recycled plastics purchased in the EU (cube toy, kaleidoscope toy, bottle cooler) using the Frontier Laboratories Pyrolysis system.
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