NEWS
Oligomeric aluminium phosphonate
Branched oligomeric PIN FR shows flame retardant and smoke suppression, smoke toxicity reduction in epoxy.
READ MOREBiobased, hyperbranched PIN FR
Biobased itaconic anhydride (ITA), combined with DOPO, generated a polymeric P FR showed to be effective in epoxy.
READ MOREDOPO as a reactive PIN FR for epoxy
Two phosphorus compounds (DOPO, BICP) combine to cure epoxy, resulting in fire resistance and reduced smoke.
READ MOREBio-based PIN FR for wood fibre materials
Wheat starch modified with P and N showed to be an effective FR for wood fibres and industrially processable. Wood fibres are widely used in heat and sound insulation materials, and are recyclable, compostable and non-toxic, but are flammable.
READ MOREComplexity of neurodevelopmental toxicity assessment.
Fifteen brominated, chlorinated or phosphate ester flame retardants were tested using a battery of 22 different in vitro neurodevelopmental endpoint tests.
READ MOREDegradation products of TPP (TPHP).
Degradation of the phosphate ester FR triphenyl phosphate (generally abbreviated as TPP, here as TPHP) were studied in experiments with green microalgae, invertebrates and fish, at exposure 100 µg/l (below the NOEC).
READ MOREWhat does product sustainability mean for tomorrow’s fire safety?
With the Green Deal, the European Commission is developing the Circular Economy Action Plan, the Sustainable Chemical Strategy, the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI) and the Zero Pollution Action Plan … which will have far-reaching implications for the product value chain, including defining “Essential Use” for chemicals and materials. Fire safety is demanded in many applications where flammable materials such as plastics, composites, fibres or wood are increasingly used. With the European Commission’s goal of having all products Safe and Sustainable by Design, this webinar will address ask: Should fire safety be an inherent part of safe and sustainable materials and products? Can flame-retardant materials be “Safe and Sustainable by Design” ?
READ MOREProposed chemical tax revision is appreciated – necessary steps in the right direction, but complete withdrawal should still be considered
In the first official evaluation of the tax submitted in 2020, KEMI and the Tax Agency concluded that the tax has been largely ineffective in modifying flame retardant use in electronics, is not cost-effective, has increased prices for consumers and is administratively burdensome for the companies.
READ MORESustainable Products Initiative
Sustainable Products Initiative public consultation: open to 9th June 2021. One of several regulatory developments engaged as part of the Green Deal. See pinfa Newsletter n°125.
READ MOREREACH and CLP
Public consultation, to 1st June 2021, on the Roadmap for revision of EU chemicals regulations REACH and CLP. This revision is a key first stage of rollout of the EU Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (see pinfa Newsletter n°119), within the Green Deal.
READ MOREPinfa-NA Formulators’ Workshop
The full programme of the pinfa-NA SPE (Society of Plastics Engineers) online formulators’ training is now published. The four workshop sessions are led by expert instructors, with possibilities to ask questions and dialogue.
READ MORESAMPE – Webinar on transportation composites
Summary of pinfa-NA – SAMPE online event on new challenges for materials fire safety in aircraft. Event page: https://www.naSAMPE.org/events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1496426
READ MOREUL furniture fire safety & chemicals guide
New UL Guide provides detailed information on fire risks, fire protection and flame retardants for upholstered furniture. “Managing Fire and Chemical Exposure Risks of Residential Upholstered Furniture” provides over 40 pages of detailed information (over 110 references) on fire risks of upholstered furniture in the home, flame retardants used in furniture, risk and exposure, fire tests and solutions for fire safety including inherently low flammability textiles and fillings, flame retardants and active and passive fire barriers.
READ MOREECHA publishes CoRAP to 2023
EU chemicals action plan includes eight active evaluations of halogenated FRs or their synergists and four of PIN FRs. The European Chemicals Agency, ECHA, has published the Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) update 2021-2023, listing chemicals for Evaluation (under REACH) during this period. In total, the CoRAP evaluation list now contains 392 chemicals, including the following flame retardants
READ MOREEcolabel / GPP for photovoltaic systems
EU (JRC) report on PV notes the need for fire safety of cables and panel backings and the availability of acceptable PIN FRs. The European Commission (JRC) preparatory report on possible Ecolabel and/or Green Public Purchasing criteria for photovoltaics notes that some existing warranty systems require fire classification of cables and panel backings and reporting of halogen content, and that FRs are relevant for internal electrical components for inverters and junction boxes.
READ MOREBuildings ‘Renovation Wave’ consultation
An EU public consultation on revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive is open to 22nd June 2021. The general public consultation poses questions on energy requirements for buildings, covering residential and other buildings, for new buildings and existing buildings and for building renovation, including the “whole life-cycle” performance.
READ MOREPIN FR polyamides for electronics
Thermoplastics specialist STS Tecnopolimeri uses DOMO PIN FR polyamides for performance household and electrical parts. The versatile non-halogen, melamine-based PIN FR polyamide PA6 and PA66 products offer mechanical and electrical properties enabling metal replacement and use in applications such as electronics casings, keyboards, displays, command boxes developed for the internet of things (IoT).
READ MORESABIC PIN FR solutions for EV batteries
PIN FR compounds offer new lightweight, high performance solutions for EV battery structural elements. SABIC offers an extensive performance materials range to replace metals and optimise electric vehicle batteries and supply equipment (EVSE) with reduced weight and flexible design possibilities, whilst ensuring crash and impact resistance, non-halogenated fire safety and enabling potential cost-effectiveness and high productivity.
READ MORELow-smoke, halogen-free polyolefin cable
Benvic, a world leader in PVC compounds, has launched HFFR polyolefin cables for construction and electrical industries. The new LINKFLEX HF compounds for cables and sheathing ensure compliance with the EU Construction Product Regulations (CPR) EN 50575 Eca up to B2ca, with low droplets, using PIN flame retardants in a polyolefin matrix to ensure low smoke properties, IEC 60754-2 low acidity emissions.
READ MOREWAPOL: PIN FRs from waste materials
EU project develops PIN FR compounds using waste incineration ash and nitrogen FRs for PP, PA (polypropylene, polyamide). The Horizon 2020 (EIT Raw Materials) project, WAPOL, is developing flame retarded polymers for the automotive industries using PIN FRs from waste materials. PP filled with 20-30% municipal waste incineration ash (treated bottom ash) achieved UL94HB @ 1.6 mm with mechanical properties similar to those of PP-T20.
READ MOREPerformance PC/ABS and PC/ASA
Polymer Compounders Ltd (PCL) new polycarbonate blend compounds show excellent properties and low toxicity. Established in 1993, PCL specialises in engineering thermoplastics. Their new PC/ABS* and PC/ASA* blends claim better melt processing, lower density and physical properties as good as halogen FR compounds, but use reactive non-halogenated FR polymer formulations to ensure a favourable toxicity profile, no antimony, no FR migration and no bioaccumulation.
READ MOREMetal alginates as PIN flame retardants
Alginates loaded with metal ions can provide effective bio-based PIN FRs for textiles, polymers, surface coatings …. Tens of thousands of tonnes of alginates are produced worldwide annually from brown algae, providing relatively low-cost bio-based materials which are not competing with food crops.
READ MOREBio-based PIN FR for cotton
The natural molecule polylysine, reacted with phosphoric acid, provides a durable PIN FR for cotton fabrics. The polypeptide ε polylysine can be produced by natural fermentation or by a condensation reaction of the biological amino acid lysine, and is used as a food additive.
READ MORE“Green” synthesis of PIN FR for bioplastic
Researchers propose solvent-free synthesis of polymeric phosphorus FR for poly(lactic acid) bioplastic (PLA). The bio-based and biodegradable polymer poly(lactic acid) is highly flammable. Phosphoramides have shown to be effective PIN FRs for PLA at low loadings, but their synthesis relies on organic solvents.
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