The application and research of flame retardants received global attention

With the rapid development of science and technology, the application fields of polymer materials have gradually expanded in recent years. Due to the flammability of polymer materials, the application and research of flame retardants have received global attention. As a material aid for reducing the ignition ability of materials, flame retardants have become important additives for polymer materials and have been rapidly developed in the market.

At present, the world's four major flame retardant markets are: the United States, Europe, Japan and other Asia Pacific regions. Of the four markets, the fastest growing use is in other Asian countries. Data show that from 2006 to 2010, the global average growth rate of flame retardant usage was 4.1%, while the average growth rate of other Asian countries and regions was 12.5%. It is predicted that from 2008 to 2014, the global use of flame retardant The average annual growth rate of up to 4.9%, sales of up to 7%, that is, in 2014 the global flame retardant usage and sales can reach 2620 and 61 billion US dollars (equivalent to 40 billion yuan).

Due to the transfer of the international downstream industrial chain, the domestic flame retardant industry has developed rapidly. At present, the amount of flame retardant used in China is between 180,000 and 220,000 tons per year. From 2007 to 2011, the average use of flame retardant in China increased by about 15%. It is understood that the current flame retardant products on the market are mainly divided into inorganic flame retardants and organic flame retardants. Among them, inorganic flame retardants are composed of antimony trioxide, magnesium hydroxide and other flame-retardant systems; organic flame retardants include some flame retardant products represented by bromine-based, nitrogen-based, and phosphorus-based compounds. It is worth noting that although the flame retardant industry in China has developed rapidly, the consumption structure of domestic flame retardant products is not reasonable, and the market share of brominated flame retardants is huge. However, from 2008 to 2010, with the soaring prices of domestic bromine, the tendency of brominated flame retardants to be replaced by relatively low-price halogen-free flame retardants has been continuously strengthened, and the market for brominated flame retardants has shown a certain degree of shrinkage. status.

At present, the treaties and regulations that have a significant impact on flame retardants are the Stockholm Convention and the EU ROHS and REACH. The flame retardant that has been listed on the POPs list under the Stockholm Convention is decabromodiphenyl ether. And HBCD. With the improvement of people's awareness of environmental protection, the development of environmentally friendly flame retardants with low toxicity and low smoke will become the goal of the flame retardant industry in China. For example, flame-retardant polystyrene foams up to the B2 flame-retardant standard have been banned in many developed countries as building exterior insulation. Therefore, if once the country establishes the building materials insulation material to meet the B1 flame retardant standard, the market will use large quantities of brominated flame retardant EPS, etc., will withdraw, and turn to the use of phosphorus flame retardant polyurethane foam.

Clariant, a global leader in the production of specialty plastics and chemicals, has announced that the company's newly marketed phosphorus-based halogen-free flame retardants have brought safe and sustainable solutions to the transportation sector. In recent years, with the continuous promotion of the lightweight design concept of automobiles, people have put forward higher requirements for the performance of automotive structural components and their production materials. This has virtually increased the degree of difficulty in the production of modern automobiles. While auto parts makers were unable to do this, Clariant Exolit series of halogen-free flame retardants came into being. It is reported that the two phosphorus-based non-halogen flame retardants named Exolit AP and Exolit OP have solved the problem of plastic thermoforming.

Although flame retardants and related flame-retardant products have a wide range of applications in the fields of construction and medical care, they are limited by technical bottlenecks and their use in transportation is limited. To this end, Clariant said that the successful launch of new flame retardants will greatly promote the development of plastic parts in the field of transportation. It is reported that Exolit series halogen-free flame retardants are specially developed for unsaturated resins and epoxy resins, and their application prospects in aircraft, trains, automobiles, and ships are very promising. This flame retardant is not only cheap, but also fully meets the stringent requirements set by the international flame retardant products, reaching a series of environmental protection indicators.

The research and development, production and sales of flame retardants not only bring benefits to the market, but also bring a safety guarantee to the society and the people. Therefore, the rapid development of flame retardants has become popular and the prospects are expected to expire. The high-quality, low-cost flame retardant is not only the market demand, but also the company's constant struggle for the goal. It is believed that with the constant improvement of the quality of the flame retardant itself, its development will continue to expand.