Zinc Borates For Fire Retardancy For Supporting Sustainability And Compliance

A vast array of products that we use every day are made from polymers, which is an essential building block. You may think of polymers as “plastics”, which is true in general. Think beyond plastic packaging and think about furniture, cables and wiring, appliances, and fabrics. Polymer manufacturers are constantly improving their processes in this dynamic market to provide high-quality products that meet evolving safety and sustainability requirements.

The addition of flame retardants is a major concern in the polymer industry. Flame retardant additives are required for polymers that can burn and ignite easily. Our Firebrake (r), a multifunctional flame retardant that has been proven effective, is particularly well-suited to polymer formulations.

As polymer producers strive to achieve a balance between sustainability, safety, and quality, they face many challenges.

Sustainability covers a wide range of requirements regarding polymer formulations. There is a growing demand for biodegradable and compostable polymers. Therefore, producers need to ensure that flame-retardant ingredients will not cause harm to the environment or people when the product is broken down. These additives should not hinder the product’s ability to be recycled.

Producers need to find additives that can be used throughout the lifecycle of the polymer compound from its production through to disposal. It is crucial to choose a non-halogenated fire retardant so that products don’t become toxic chemicals such as dioxins or furans when they are burned or decomposed.

Zinc borate, a naturally occurring mineral compound–and the Flashbrake ZB products and Flashbrake 500 products that are made from it- provides manufacturers with a safer and longer-lasting flame retardant option. Firebrake products, whether used alone or in combination with other additives, minimize interference with product quality and properties.

You Can Increase Your Benefits Using Fire Brake Polymers

Zinc borates are anti-tracking agents and flame retardants in halogen-containing polymers. Zinc borates are also beneficial for their corrosion resistance, adhesive properties, and protection against UV rays.

Firebrake products are low in solubility and high in thermal stability. This allows them to be integrated well into a variety of polymer formulations, and withstand the intense polymer manufacturing processes.

Firebrake 500 and Flashbrake 500 flame retardants are very effective on their own but they also work well when combined with metal-hydroxide flame suppressants.

Inorganic flame retardants such as magnesium hydroxide (MDH), and alumina trihydrate, (ATH), are common because they are effective, safe, and cost-effective. To be effective, however, they must be used at high loading in polymer formulas (up to 50%-60% in some systems).

There are some of the performance compromises at this level such as decreased physical or mechanical properties or reduced rheological performances. Adding Fire brake to metal hydroxide will lead in synergistic performance benefits, improving both the compound’s fire performance and rheological properties. Firebrake will promote strong char formation by combining with the metal-hydroxide-containing compound.

This synergistic effect allows manufacturers to reduce a total load of fire-retardant ingredients in their formulations, thereby reducing the impact on mechanical and physical properties.