Flame Retardant

Flame retardants encompass a diverse group of chemicals that are incorporated into manufactured materials, such as building products, plastics, coatings and elastomers, to enhance their fire resistance. These additives are crucial for meeting stringent flammability standards and ensuring fire safety in various industrial and consumer products. The mechanisms of flame retardants can vary, and they can function in both the vapour (gaseous) and condensed (solid) phases. Additive flame retardants, such as mineral, organohalogen, and organophosphorus compounds, are typically used to create a thermal insulation barrier between burning and unburned parts, thereby impeding the spread of flames. Intumescent additives, for instance, play a key role in transforming the polymer surface into a char, which separates the flame from the material and slows the heat transfer to the unburned fuel. Additionally, non-halogenated inorganic and organic phosphate flame retardants act by generating a polymeric layer of charred phosphoric acid. These flame retardant additives are essential for preventing or delaying combustion and are specific to particular polymers and flammability tests. They are designed to hinder the ignition phase of fire and do not prevent charring or melting, nor do they increase the heat resistance of a material.

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