Fire Retardant
A paper from JordanFire.Net
Copyright reserved © 2006
I INTRODUCTION
Flame Retardant, material added or applied to a product to
increase the resistance of that product to fire. Flame retardants, also
called fire retardants, are less flammable than the materials they
protect, burn slowly, and do not propagate fire. Some flame retardants
prevent the spread of flame; others burn and thereby create a layer of
char that inhibits further combustion.
Flame retardants are generally added to wood, paper, plastics,
textiles, and composites to meet governmental regulations for
buildings, aircraft, automobiles, and ships. Flame retardants can be
incorporated into a material either as a reactive component or as an
additive component. Reactive-type flame retardants are preferable
because they produce stable and more uniform products. Such flame
retardants are incorporated into the polymer structure of some
plastics. Additive-type flame retardants, on the other hand, are more
versatile and economical. They can be applied as a coating to wood,
woven fabrics, and composites, or as dispersed additives in bulk
materials such as plastics and fibers.
The chemicals in a flame retardant determine how it works. Most
flame-retardants contain elements from any of three groups in the
periodic table of elements (see Periodic Law): group IIIa (including
boron and aluminum); group Va (including nitrogen, phosphorus,
arsenic, and antimony); and group VIIa (including fluorine, chlorine,
and bromine). Elements of different groups that are combined in a
single flame retardant may work more effectively together than they
would separately.
II GROUP IIIA FLAME RETARDANTS
Flame retardants that contain boron or aluminum increase the
amount of char, or burnt material, formed in the early stage of a fire.
The char forms a protective layer that prevents oxygen from reaching
the inner layers of the material and thus sustaining the fire (see
Combustion). Chemicals commonly used for this purpose include
borax, boric acid, and hydrated aluminum oxide.
III GROUP VA FLAME RETARDANTS
Phosphorus can function as a flame retardant in both its solid
phase and its liquid phase. Phosphorus-containing compounds such as
phosphoric acid work by forming a surface layer of protective char.
Nitrogen is used mainly in combination with phosphorus; such
combinations have proved effective in cellulose, polyester, and
polyurethane products. Arsenic, because of its toxicity, is now rarely
used in flame retardants. Antimony by itself is ineffective as a flame
retardant and is used only in combination with halogens, especially
bromine and chlorine.
IV GROUP VIIA FLAME RETARDANTS
Bromine works as a flame retardant in its gaseous phase.
Bromine-containing compounds are incorporated into flammable
materials. When these materials are exposed to flame, the bromine
dissociates from the material and forms a heavy gas. This dissociation
disperses heat, and the bromine gas forms an insulating layer around
the material. The layer prevents flames from spreading by inhibiting
access to oxygen and by slowing the transfer of heat. Chlorine works
in a similar manner in both its liquid and gaseous phases. The most
important fluorine-containing flame retardants are the
chlorofluorocarbons, which are used as blowing agents in polyurethane
and polystyrene foams. The use of bromine and chlorine in fire
retardants is somewhat restricted, however, because a high
concentration of these elements can diminish the flexibility,
mechanical properties, and durability of materials.
