Construction

Flame retardant additives are critical to meeting certain regulatory requirements in the building and construction industry. Based on the final requirements of the application, the formulations are always a compromise between FR performance, mechanical properties, processability, and cost.

Brominated flame retardants are an additive of choice for end products such as flooring, roofing, rigid insulation foam, and many plastic-wood composites.

End products where metal hydroxides are preferred include panels, mortars, and polymer concrete and wall. Typical requirements for a FR used in these applications are: excellent dispersion (including in latices), excellent weatherability and durability, and good chemical resistance.

Phosphorus and halogen-phosphorus blend flame retardants are particularly popular in rigid polyurethane (PUR) and polyisocyanurate (PIR) foams, which are used as insulation materials for roofing as well as structural materials.