A tank of Phos-Chek fire retardand at Ramona Airport (KRNM) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Flame retardants are often extremely harmful to health.
Despite this, they are found in many types of synthetic materials which would otherwise ignite quickly. Empa researchers have now succeeded in producing non-harmful flame retardants.
Synthetic materials made from organic polymers usually burn very well due to their high carbon content; when turned into foams, they ignite even more easily – and, depending on their chemical compositions, they produce toxic gases such as hydrogen cyanide or carbon monoxide. For this reason, polyurethane foams and other similar products have to be treated with flame retardants. These foam materials are widely used in upholstered furniture and mattresses, as insulation and packaging materials and as expanding spray foams.
Conventional halogenated flame retardants such as tri(chloropropyl) phosphate (TCPP) or some polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are suspected of being harmful to health and the environment: a number of these substances are extremely persistent and accumulate in the environment, have hormone-like effects and are even thought to be carcinogenic. Non-harmful replacements are therefore called for. These are exactly what Empa researchers have developed in conjunction with Swiss company FoamPartner within the scope of a project sponsored by the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI).
Healthier, more environmentally friendly and with no additional cost
The novel flame retardants are organic phosphorus-containing compounds, so-called phosphoramidates. The Empa researchers synthesised several of these substances (which differ from each other in terms of the type of amine substituents attached to the phosphorus) and added them to the polyurethane foam in increasing concentrations. First results indicate that the flame retardants did not have a negative effect on the foam manufacturing process. As a result, conventional agents that are harmful to health may soon be a thing of the past.
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Non-toxic flame retardants
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The Latest Google Headlines on:
Non-toxic flame retardants
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Non-toxic flame retardants” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
The Latest Bing News on:
Non-harmful flame retardants
- 9 Sneaky Things You Touch Every Day That Could Be Toxicon September 16, 2023 at 5:01 pm
as most furniture made in the United States after 2005 does not contain fire retardants. If you need to whip out some miracle recipes in a hot second for your family, you might opt for non-stick ...
- ONE ELEUTHERA FOUNDATION – Unknown dangers found in consumer productson September 15, 2023 at 2:17 pm
# By leaving his car window open while fueling up, Mr Jones has inadvertently exposed himself to the volatile benzenes in the gas. Benzene is a carcinogen that has been linked to several types of ...
- Naturepedic Launches Nursing Pillow, Wins Good Housekeeping's 2023 Parenting Award and 2023 NAPPA Awardon September 15, 2023 at 6:40 am
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It’s in the best interests of the plastics industry to keep these advocacy groups apprised of the availability of non-toxic, environmentally friendly flame retardants and step up with information when ...
- Flammex - Flame Retardant Productson September 13, 2023 at 1:35 pm
Realisation of projects with increased fire protection requirements Classified as B – low flammability with very limited contribution to fire Balanced product range for a wide variety of ...
- flame-retardanton September 2, 2023 at 4:59 pm
Constructed from flame-retardant plywood, it is sure to add an element of delicious danger to children’s birthday parties and weekend wingdings alike. You don’t have to get too specific with ...
- FRX Innovations Reports Q2 2023 Financial Results: More than Doubles Sales Compared to Q1 2023on August 30, 2023 at 5:38 am
41 new customer projects started as a direct consequence of new regulations banning toxic flame retardants. Revenue in Q2 2023 increased by 13% versus Q2 2022. Gross margin improved during the 2nd ...
- New flame retardants found in breast milk years after similar chemicals were bannedon August 24, 2023 at 10:10 am
Ceneri / Getty Images In the early 2000s, researchers tested breast milk samples from U.S. mothers and found high levels of toxic compounds used as a common flame retardant in household items.
- New flame retardants found in breast milk years after similar chemicals were bannedon August 24, 2023 at 9:51 am
In the early 2000s, researchers tested breast milk samples from U.S. mothers and found high levels of toxic compounds used as a common flame retardant in household items. The compounds ...
- New epoxy resin is recyclable and flame retardanton August 23, 2023 at 2:53 am
An epoxy resin-based plastic that is recyclable, repairable and flame retardant has been developed at Empa, the Swiss federal laboratories for materials science and technology. The new epoxy resin is ...
The Latest Google Headlines on:
Non-harmful flame retardants
[google_news title=”” keyword=”non-harmful flame retardants” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
