Phosphorus-based flame retardants for thermoplastics

When a flame-retarded plastic material is selected for an application, the decision of the design engineer is based on the technical property profile and the price/performance ratio of the product. Looking at the large number of available flame retardant compounds on the market, it is important to understand differences in the performance of materials due to the chemical structure of the flame retardant, explains Elmar Schmitt of Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH.