Current commercial reactive and polymeric flame retardants in polyurethane foams

Polyurethane foams encompass a wide range of materials which, depending on the foam structure, chemical composition, and presence of flame retardants, can be very combustible or fire resistant. The first commercial flame retardants for polyurethane foams were developed 60 years ago with a focus on fire retardant efficiency. These legacy flame retardants are relatively small volatile molecules that can migrate from the foam to the environment. Now the flame retardant industry has been changing with a focus on reactive or polymeric flame retardants. This article gives a short overview of these new commercial flame retardants.