Fire performance durability of flame retardants in polymers and coatings

Abstract

The fire performance durability of products containing flame retardants may be significantly affected after aging and mechanical recycling. Publications of the last ten years show that even under severe conditions simulating outdoor applications, progress has been made in using halogenated and halogenfree flame retardants with high temperature stability, stabilizers acting as flame retardants, improved coating formulations for wood and steel less sensible to hydrolysis by using topcoats and layer by layer approaches. Mechanical recycling is possible for halogenated and non-halogenated flame retardant systems, but has only been studied for virgin thermoplastics which may be available from post-industrial waste. Post-consumer waste is still unsuitable due to its mixed contents. Examples from practice show that the lifetime of products containing flame retardants may be durable for decades in indoor and probably for a much shorter time in outdoor applications.