New boron-based, non-halogenated FR additive with loading levels as low as 3%

12-Feb-09

Applied NanoWorks (ANW), an inorganic materials development company, has announced FlexB™, a boron-based, non-halogenated flame retardant (FR) additive for nylon, epoxies and water-based coatings. Material testing has achieved UL-94 V-0 ratings with FlexB loading levels as low as 3%. As per the company, the FR additive is aimed at the high performance market like the automotive market where high loading levels (20% - 30%) which have a negative bearing on the strength, weight, processability, rheology and mechanical properties. In addition, the increasingly strict government regulation and consumer demand for more environmentally friendly materials ahs led the plastics and coatings industries to find non-halogenated low-load fire retardants. The FlexB™ flame retardant additive, developed using Applied NanoWorks' MCP Technology™ platform, is designed to deliver specific performance gains to material systems requiring flame retardants. Due to the increased inorganic functionality derived from MCP Technology™ FlexFR flame retardant additives are a fundamentally simpler way to add FR characteristics to polymers.