Some materials are inherently flame retardant and do not need the addition of flame retardant additives. Some examples of naturally flame retardant materials are wool, some cotton fibers, eucalyptus, and polyimides. There are several reasons that a polymer might be considered inherently flame retardant. One reason could be the presence of a [...]
Dilution of Fuel
An inexpensive category of flame retardant is actually introduced to the plastic for a different reason. Many plastics are manufactured with as much as twenty percent filler. The most common filler is calcium carbonate and another is talc. The calcium carbonate is added to make the production of the plastic [...]
The most common type of flame retardant used in products today is the halogen/antimony oxide combination. The antimony trioxide is a synergist acting with a halogenated compound to use radical quenching as a means to slow the spread of fire. Brominated and chlorinated compounds are used most often. When using a brominated [...]
Some flame retardants work under the concept of thermal shielding. In this process, a thermal barrier is formed between the burning part of material and the unaffected part. The thermal barrier insulated the unburned material from the flames. Intumescents are classic examples of the type of chemical that achieves thermal shielding. [...]
One type of flame retardant is a chemical that degrades endothermically. Examples of these types of chemicals are magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide and many different hydrates. An endothermic reaction is one where heat is absorbed. Systems in which an endothermic reaction is taking actually undergo a relative decrease in temperature. Hence, [...]