Global low smoke halogen free flame retardant PP market to reach US$664 mln by 2020

The global low smoke halogen free flame retardant polypropylene (PP) market is expected to reach US$664 mln by 2020, according to a new study by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing PP demand across key end-use industries such as construction, automotive and electrical & electronics is expected to remain a key driving factor for the global market. Growing concerns regarding halogen toxicity and fire safety issues coupled with environmental issues is also expected to have a positive impact on the market growth. Favorable regulatory scenario in North America and Europe is also expected to fuel the demand over the forecast period. High loading levels and drawbacks in process ability of halogen free flame is expected to remain a key challenge for market participants. Construction emerged as the leading application segment and accounted for 37.7% of total market volume in 2013. Increasing infrastructure activities particularly in the emerging BRICS market coupled with growth need for flame retardants based polymers in construction industry is expected to drive this segment over the forecast period. Electrical & electronics market is expected to witness the fastest growth of 8.4% from 2014 to 2020. Growing electronics & electrical industry in China and Taiwan is expected to drive this segment over the forecast period. Further key findings from the study suggest: Global low smoke halogen free flame retardant PP market was 166.4 kilo tons in 2013 and is expected to reach 279.4 kilo tons in 2020, growing at a CAGR of 7.8% from 2013 to 2020. North America emerged as the leading consumer and accounted for over 35% of total market volume in 2013. Favorable regulatory scenario in the U.S. is expected to drive the regional market over the forecast period. Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth of 8.2% over the next six years. Increasing construction spending coupled with positive outlook on automotive industry particularly in China, India and Indonesia is expected to drive the regional market. Some major companies operating in the global market include Albemarle Corporation, Israel Chemicals Ltd., Chemtura Corporation, Clariant International Ltd., Huber Engineered Materials, BASF SE, Thor Group Ltd., Lanxess A.G., DSM N.V., FRX Polymers Inc., Nabaltec A.G., DuPont, Washington Penn Plastic. Co. RTP Company, PolyOne Corporation and Delamin Ltd. New smart lithium-ion batteries that do not explode While little can be done for a lithium-ion battery that explodes due to severe damage, in most other cases, accidents could be prevented if users knew that the battery is on the verge of combusting. That is what Stanford associate professor Yi Cui and other professors have sought to accomplish with a new "smart" battery. Lithium-ion batteries are practically made up of two packed electrodes: an anode made of carbon and a cathode made of lithium metal-oxide, separated by an ultrathin polymer. The problem starts when the polymer, which is porous by nature, gets pierced by something, either by impurities inside the battery or through overcharging, which causes the lithium ions to pile up into long chains called dendrites. A pierced polymer would cause the battery to short and to eventually burts into flames. The solution that the Stanford researchers came up with is to introduce another layer on top of the polymer on the anode side. This layer, made of copper, practically serves as a third electrode. It measures the voltage between the anode and the polymer separator. When dendrites reach the copper layer, it will drop the voltage to zero, signaling that the polymer layer is in danger of being pierced and that the battery needs to be replaced. The battery itself actually isn't "smart" in the sense of smart devices we have these days. It will still require some other electronic device to actually read the copper layer's voltage. That layer can actually also be used to determine where exactly the dendrites will pierce. To some extent, the copper layer only gives a very immediate warning of impending doom, but the researchers claim that an even earlier warning sign can be had by placing the copper layer closer to the anode. Such features will soon become a necessity as the number of devices using lithium-ion batteries grow around us. Aside from smartphones and laptops, these batteries are also used to power up plane systems, like the Boeing 787 whose battery packs caught fire in several incidents in 2013. Electric vehicles will also utilize this type of battery and in massive amounts, making early warning signs like these even more critical to saving lives as well as property.