Eco-friendly Brominated Flame Retardants
These products avoid the risks associated with toxic by-products found in traditional brominated flame retardants; representative examples include decabromodiphenylethane, brominated epoxy resins, and brominated polystyrene. They offer high flame-retardant efficiency and excellent thermal stability. During combustion, they do not produce carcinogenic substances such as polybrominated dibenzo-p-dioxins, and they support the recycling of plastic substrates. They are widely used in engineering plastics and electronic/electrical components.
Eco-friendly Phosphorus-based Flame Retardants
These utilize phosphorus as the core flame-retardant component and are categorized into inorganic phosphorus (e.g., microencapsulated red phosphorus, ammonium polyphosphate) and organic phosphorus (e.g., phosphate esters). They serve the dual function of flame retardancy and plasticization. As halogen-free, eco-friendly products, they often form synergistic systems with nitrogen or silicon. Widely applied in plastics, coatings, and textiles, they significantly reduce the release of toxic smoke during combustion.
Eco-friendly Nitrogen-based Flame Retardants
Represented primarily by melamine derivatives, these are completely halogen-free, low-toxicity, and low-smoke. Upon thermal decomposition, they release inert gases (such as ammonia) and achieve flame retardancy through char formation. They often serve as key components in phosphorus-nitrogen intumescent flame-retardant systems and are suitable for applications involving wood, fabrics, and water-based coatings.
Eco-friendly Inorganic Flame Retardants
Typical examples include aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. They achieve flame retardancy through physical heat absorption and cooling. Being completely non-toxic and harmless with outstanding smoke-suppression capabilities, they currently represent the largest share of eco-friendly flame retardants by volume. They are widely used in wires, cables, and construction materials; some products undergo surface modification to significantly improve their dispersion within polymer materials.
