Criteria For, and Examples of Optimal Choice of Flame Retardants

What would our lives be without plastics? Better or worse? The same question is valid for chemical compounds, especially fire-retardants, being added to polymers to enhance and tailor polymer properties. Within five main types of fire retardants a significant number of compounds serve one goal: improve resistance against fire! For decades, innumerable applications prove the universal utility of brominated fire-retardants. Today, cost optimization of final compounds is very often the main driving force to reduce fire safety or to use the cheapest flame retardant available. By referring to applications, this paper reflects the influence of different properties and suggests guidelines for optimal choice of fire retardants.