New Class of Brominated Polymeric Flame Retardants for use in Polystyrene Foams

Abstract

Flame retardant producers and end users are continually looking for more sustainable solutions through innovation in their customer offerings. Successful solutions need to satisfy a range of characteristics, from processing to technical and environmental performance, which sometimes conflict. This paper covers a new class of brominated polymeric flame retardants designed and developed by The Dow Chemical Company for use in polystyrene foam to meet existing fire and use requirements and have an improved environmental profile to meet regulatory guidelines. An overview of the environmental, health and safety performance of these new polymeric flame retardants will be presented along with preliminary performance data of their use in polystyrene foam.

Rapid identification of polystyrene foam wastes containing hexabromocyclododecane or its alternative polymeric brominated flame retardant by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

“…In reaction to these legal developments, alternatives for HBCDD were developed in order to replace HBCDD in PS foam for building and construction applications (Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2014). The highest market potential is attributed to a special polymeric brominated flame retardant (PolyFR) (Beach et al, 2013).…”

New Class of Brominated Polymeric Flame Retardants for use in Polystyrene Foams

“…Following this screening protocol Dow's new class of polymeric FR's, PolyFR, was developed which exhibits a superior environmental profile to that of HBCD and other lower molecular weight FR molecules. The brominated polymer flame retardant is based on a copolymer of styrene and butadiene [3,4]. Typically, a styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) triblock architecture is utilized that is brominated on the polybutadiene portion.…”

Study on the effect of PolyFR and its FR system on the flame retardancy and foaming behavior of polystyrene

“…[27][28][29] Therefore, the ame retardants which has high efficiency and low addition still need to be researched for meeting requirements for foaming properties. Recently, as in Scheme 1 a kind of brominated polymer ame retardant (PolyFR) which exhibits better environmental friendliness than that of HBCD was reported, [30][31][32] in which only 3-5 wt% PolyFR in PS or PS foam can exert excellent ame-retardant effect. 33 Mark W. Beach has studied on the mechanism of ame retardant of PolyFR and found that PolyFR has the similar ame retardant mechanism to HBCD in PS blends where both produce hydrogen bromide (HBr) to exert ame retardant effect in gas phase and both produce enhanced degradation of polymers as another important way to exert ame retardant effect in condensed phase.…”

“…What's more, PolyFR was an environmentally sustainable alternative to HBCD which has been demonstrated by the environmental health and safety (EH&S) evaluation. 30 The physical chemical properties of PolyFR, namely its high molecular weight, indicated it would possess very low bioavailability and intrinsic toxicity. The results of the environmental fate and ecological toxicity testing demonstrated that PolyFR does not pose the health and environmental issues, such as bioaccumulation and toxicity, which are associated with HBCD.…”

“…The results of the environmental fate and ecological toxicity testing demonstrated that PolyFR does not pose the health and environmental issues, such as bioaccumulation and toxicity, which are associated with HBCD. 30 As a new ame retardant, PolyFR is environment-friendly, there are few reports about the effect of combination of Pol-yFR and other ame-retardant additives in PS or PS foams. So it is necessary for PolyFR to blend with other ame retardants additives to study their combined action.…”