It takes just over 2 minutes for a room to burn completely from the moment a fire breaks out. At the same time, according to the Madrid Fire Brigade yearbook 2020, the average reaction time of firefighters to a fire (from the time the alert is received until arrival at the scene of the incident) is just over 8 minutes. Delaying the spread of fire until firefighters arrive is key to saving the lives of trapped people. This is the main function of flame retardants.
What are flame retardants?
Flame retardants are chemical substances that are added to materials such as plastics and textiles, among others, and serve to prevent or delay the development of fire ignition through various physical and chemical methods. They are used in electronic and electrical devices, in building and construction materials, in furniture and also in transport.
For example, after the Asian Airlines plane crash in July 2013 in San Francisco, in which very few people were killed, experts credited flame-retardant materials with helping passengers survive the crash.
Flame retardants for the polyurethane industry
Among the materials that incorporate flame retardants in their formulation, we can find polyurethanes. Here are the main flame retardants used:
TCPP – Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate
Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) is a colourless liquid flame retardant used as a flame retardant for flexible polyurethane foams.
TEP – Triethyl phosphate
Flame retardant triethyl phosphate for rigid polyurethane and thermoset foams as well as viscosity reducer for polyols and prepolymers. It is used as a flame retardant in the manufacture of non-flammable polyurethane foams and polyurethane resins.
TDCP – Tris(2-chloro-1(chloromethyl)ethyl) phosphate
Low fogging value tris(1,3-dichloroisopropyl) phosphate. It acts as a general purpose chlorinated phosphate flame retardant. Exhibits excellent stability for applications in polyurethane foams and resins, epoxy resins and phenolic resins.
TCPP LO – Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate Low Odour
Tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP LO) is a colourless liquid flame retardant used as a low odour flame retardant for flexible polyurethane foams.
Flame retardants in Quimidroga
Quimidroga has a wide range of flame retardants for the polyurethane industry intended for the European, British and Turkish markets. These include both halogenated and non-halogenated in all packaging formats, from bulk to different types of packaging.
Quimidroga’s flame retardant model is based on a high stock capacity in Europe, we have a total capacity of more than 2.000 tn strategically located in Northern and Southern Europe which allows us to reduce the lead time of the service with a clear added value of “door to door” service allowing us to reduce the risk of market shortage. Since 2021 we have a tank in bonded warehouse for the supply of flame retardants to the UK market. The quality control of the product is guaranteed by Quimidroga from its origin to the final delivery to the client with different quality controls throughout the supply chain and the rigorous control of the manufacture at origin.
Non-halogenated flame retardants
The polyurethane industry mostly uses halogenated flame retardants because they are more affordable and effective. However, the demand for TEP has recently increased because it is a compound free of halogens (which are persistent and bioaccumulative). Therefore, non-halogenated flame retardants are much more environmentally friendly and are increasingly valued by the market.
Quimidroga has also made a strong commitment to this product by increasing its stocks throughout Europe and registering the substance for both the European REACH Regulation and the equivalents in the UK and Turkey.
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