More Steps Toward Eco-Friendliness: Lead-Free, Halogen-Free and Energy Efficiency

Once driven largely by governmental regulations, companies are increasingly looking at the entire life cycle impact of their products and voluntarily identifying ways to reduce their environmental footprint.

For a consumer, attempting to sort through all of the statements, claims and green ads can be a daunting challenge. Even for those who practice in the environmental field, a full environmental assessment is extremely complex with processes such as lifecycle assessments requiring a year or more to completely develop.

For many IT products, a relatively quick and simple assessment can be completed by focusing on three primary areas: material content, energy consumption and end of life considerations. In addition, a few tools have emerged to make the analysis even simpler.

Material Content: Lead-free

Lead-based solder has been used in IT products since the industry's inception, constituting a fundamental building block of the manufacturing process. Although the environmental impacts of lead's use in electronics can be debated, the environmental and health impacts of lead itself are well studied and understood. As discussions of material content bans began in Europe in the late 1990s, electronics companies began to research and develop lead-free solutions.

By July 2006, the effective date of the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, the use of lead in electronics had been greatly reduced by electronic component manufacturers.

Today, many electronic products carry a lead-free logo or designation. It should be noted, however, that not all "lead-free" products are created equal.

At times, "lead-free" is used interchangeably with "RoHS compliant." Compliance with RoHS is not synonymous with lead-free since the European Directive allows the use of lead and other heavy metals in exempt applications. Companies are beginning to voluntarily phase out the use of these exemptions.

Intel's recent lead-free 45nm product offerings are a prime example. In these products, lead has been completely removed from the "flip chip" application (an exempt application under RoHS). "Flip-chip" is the use of tiny amounts of solder to affix the semiconductor die to the substrate found inside the semiconductor package.

The packaging technology for Intel's 45nm high-k metal gate family of processors uses a copper column "bump" and a tin/silver/copper solder alloy shown here to replace the previously used lead/tin solder alloy to attach the silicon die to the package substrate.
Material Content: Halogen-Free

Moving beyond lead-free and E.U. RoHS, IT companies are publicly committing to reduce the use of certain halogens in their products -- specifically, certain brominated flame retardants, phthalates and polyvinylchloride (PVC).

The debate about the benefits or potential harm of these chemicals is very active with producers advocating their benefits and environmental groups calling for their phase out.

Flame retardants are used in plastic parts, circuit boards and other components for fire safety. Phthalates are used as softeners in plastics and PVC is a common material used in the cords and cables of electronic equipment.

Brominated flame retardants were first phased out of large plastic parts driven by the introduction of voluntary eco-labels, such as Germany's Blue Angel" label. The use of brominated flame retardants in printed circuit boards, ICs, and other components has taken more time due to the limited availability of alternatives and the technical challenges associated with these applications. As evidenced by Intel's 45nm halogen-free announcement, the electronics supply chain is now finding alternatives to some of these elusive applications.

Energy Efficiency

Although lead-free, halogen-free and e-waste often grab headlines for "green" electronics, for many IT products, the energy use of the product over its lifetime represents the largest portion of its environmental footprint. As a result, there are multiple initiatives underway to curb the electricity use of electronic products.

Regulatory and quasi-regulatory initiatives such as the E.U.'s Energy-using Products (EuP) Directive and the U.S. EPA's ENERGY STAR program are examples of such. Voluntary industry-led programs such as the Climate Savers Computing Initiative and The Green Grid seek to curb the energy consumption of PCs and data centers, respectively.

Finally, individual IT companies are increasingly offering and marketing their most energy-efficient models to the public. Examples include, but are not limited to, Dell, HP, Sun and Intel.

Interestingly, as the world grapples with climate change and the challenges associated with improving energy efficiency and reducing global warming gas emissions, several recent studies suggest that IT products are tools which can help address the problem.

End-of-Life Considerations

As the number of IT products increase and their life spans decrease, it becomes increasingly important to have solutions for proper reuse, recycling or disposal of the obsolete products. Laws, or proposed laws, requiring the collection and recycling of IT products and other electronics are now common place in many parts of the world. In parallel many companies including PC manufacturers are voluntarily collecting and recycling their products, some programs at little to no cost to the consumer.

Participation in the EPA's Plug-In To eCycling Partners campaign continues to grow each year. Innovative initiatives such as Rethink allow consumers to sell, donate or recycle their obsolete electronics.

In addition to these programs, the electronics recycling business is growing rapidly providing many additional outlets for electronic waste. Such growth is not without its challenges. Critics are calling for additional focus, claiming that PCs and other electronics are not being properly recycled but often shipped to low-cost geographies where recycling practices are questionable.

Available Tools

OK, enough of the details. You want to purchase a green PC -- now what?

There are several options out there to help you with your choices. To keep things simple, here are three useful tools:

1. ENERGY STAR: Products that carry the ENERGY STAR logo are more energy efficient than their peers as outlined by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) definitions and test methods. Since energy consumption makes up the largest portion of most IT products' environmental footprint, this is a good place to start.

PROS: Simple -- look for the label. Also covers a broad range of electronic products. CONS: Limited to energy consumption. The label does not set criteria for material content or end-of-life solutions.
2. Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT): Although developed as a tool for institutional purchasers of computers, the tool is open to the public and can be used by the general consumer.

PROS: Simple -- bronze, silver, gold. How "green" do you want your PC? CONS: Targeted at large institutional buyers so consumer models may not be listed. Currently limited to PC products : desktops, notebooks and monitors.
3. Climate Savers Smart Computing Product Catalog: A list of 300 Climate Savers Computing-compliant products ranging from desktop PCs and laptops to servers, power supplies, power management software, and others.

PROS: Simple -- searchable by product, manufacturer or region. Aimed at both institutional and individual consumers. CONS: Does not list specific energy-efficiency information for each product. So far, limited number of manufacturers represented.

For more information on Intel's lead-free and other eco-computing innovations, visit Intel.com.

Todd Brady is the Corporate Environmental Manager for Intel Corp. In this role, he leads Intel's corporate-wide environmental programs and strategies. Since joining Intel in 1995, Todd has led a wide range of environmental programs, from regulatory compliance and design for environment at semiconductor and assembly test manufacturing sites to product-related environmental initiatives.

Sell Environmental Halogen Free Flame Retardant for PP,PE,EVA

APP1311 Environmental Halogen Free Flame Retardant for PP?PE?EVA Specification: Moisture (130Celsius×1h) %(m/m) =1.0 Whiteness % =92 Water Solubility (25Celsius) g/100ml =0.5 Tapped Density kg/L 1.7-1.9 Bulk Density kg/L 0.4-0.6 Decomposition Point Celsius =230 Particle Size (d50) µm =15 Residue on 325 Mesh (m/m %) =1.0 200 Mesh (m/m %) =0.2 Benefits: Kaify APP1311 is a flame retardant compound based on ammonium polyphosphate with molecular weight above 100 thousands, excelled to normal APP using ammonium polyphosphate only, which is a environmentally friendly flame retardant. High heat stability for PP, the performances of FR effects, hardness, and color of products show low changes by several times treated during PP processing. Kaify APP1311 treated FR PP show excellent property of yellow stain proofing, yellowing time when no antioxidant and light resistance in sunshine >2500 hours, which the halogen system is never comparable. Reduce the density effectively, this offers products lightweight properties. Low adding, excellent capability, this avoids the loss of mechanics performance effectively. High heat stability, non-hydrolyzed in normal temperature. Low smoke and less caustic gas when flame. Application: Kaify APP1311 can be used particularly in PP to achieve UL94 V-0, the adding amount based on the requirement of UL classification; to achieve UL94 V-2 (3.2mm) by adding 18-20%, UL94 V-0 (3.2mm) by 28-29%, UL94 V-0 (1.6mm) by 30-32%. Kaify APP1311 is also a suitable non-halogenated flame retardant for PP, HDPE, LDPE, and EVA, V-0 classification can be achieved by adding 30%-35% APP1311.

Halogen-free is not for free!

That was a significant conclusion of the European Institute of Printed Circuits technology seminar held in Birmingham, UK, on 6th September 2006.

In the context of a trend for OEMs to specify halogen-free materials for new electronic products, often in conjunction with their RoHS compliance programmes, without necessarily understanding the impact on bare board manufacturing processes or costs, the seminar explored some of the legislative aspects and technology issues encountered in fabricating PCBs from halogen-free laminates.

Hans Wendschlag, Hewlett Packard's environmental strategist, spoke from the point of view of a global OEM, for whom an enormous challenge was to comply with the often conflicting requirements of different product standardisation bodies and labelling conventions worldwide. An ironic example was that, in Europe, the WEEE Directive appeared to be interpreted differently by every member country. And many more directives, for example the Integrated Product Policy Directive and the EcoDesign of Energy-using Products Directive would be progressively integrated into CE marking regulations. An important commercial consideration for the OEM was "Green Public Procurement" - public authorities, whose spend in Europe, for example, represents 16% of the region's GDP, using environmental considerations to justify their purchases and heavily influencing the marketplace as a consequence. Hewlett Packard had so far produced over 1000 Eco self-declarations pertaining to materials and flame retardants. As corporate policy, they had eliminated the use of PBBs, PBOs and PBDEs, and avoided the use of PVC wherever possible.

The annual consumption of flame retardants in Europe is estimated at 465,000 tonnes. Veronique Steukers from the European Brominated Flame Retardant Industry Panel reported work that had been done to demonstrate that there are no hazards, either to human health or to the environment, resulting from the incorporation of tetra-bromo-bisphenol-A (TBBPA) into FR4 laminating resins. And, significantly, there was no legislation in Europe against any of the flame retardants currently used in PCBs, although the new REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) regulations, expected to come into force in spring 2007, would make manufacturers and importers of materials responsible, at their own expense, for submitting data on physical, chemical and toxicological properties of all materials, not just flame retardants.

With specific reference to flame retardant laminates, Dr Adrian Beard of Clariant described the advantages and disadvantages, both technical and financial, of various examples. Flame retardancy could be achieved either by the use of additives such as aluminium trihydrate, aryl phosphates or proprietary phosphinates in traditional resin systems, or by developing new resin and hardener chemistries based on materials such as triazine-modified novalacs or dihydro-oxa-phosphaphenanthrene oxides. Several halogen-free laminates were commercially available, mainly originating in the Far East, and although some had improved physical properties as compared with TBBPA-FR4, these benefits were generally offset by increased cost.

Paul Ranken of Albemarle Corporation re-emphasised the fact that no evidence existed of any toxicological or environmental hazard consequent upon the incorporation of TBBPA into FR4 resins with the quote: "All halogen-containing carbon-based bodies (including humans) will form some dioxins upon incineration, but any dioxins formed by combustion of TBBPA-containing materials are not at levels of concern to any regulatory authority". Having reviewed the relative costs of several alternative routes to achieving UL94V-0 flame retardancy, all of which were significantly more expensive than baseline FR4, he concluded that any meaningful replacement system must not only out-perform TBBPA on cost, toxicological and environmental considerations, but also show significant performance-in-use benefits.

Laminate supplier Geoff Layhe of Lamar described the properties of some commercially-available materials which had processing characteristic similar to those of standard FR4. The latest halogen-free laminates had been shown to give better thermal conductivity, better comparative tracking index, better conductive anodic filament resistance and better through-hole reliability than traditional dicy-cured FR4. European usage was increasing, currently around 50,000 sq M per month of laminate and 140,000 of pre-preg, although the main drive was coming from Japan and South-East Asia. Lead-free solder compatibility was a potential technical advantage, but the real question remained as to whether environmental or marketing considerations were the real issue.

Although the processing characteristics of halogen-free laminates had been stated as nominally equivalent to those of FR4, a note of caution came from Steve Price of Atotech who described the huge characterisation programmes which suppliers of desmear and metallisation chemistries were having to undertake in order to adapt and optimise their process parameters to suit individual examples. In general, these materials were more chemically resistant than FR4, and successful processing demanded tighter controls, with close cooperation between supplier and PCB fabricator.

In his summing-up of the presentations and the interactive discussion which they had provoked, EIPC Technical Director Michael Weinhold commented "You may get more market share because it's green, but you certainly won't get more margin!" And, as ever, the PCB fabricator would be expected to carry the burden of additional expenditure unless EIPC and its members could persuade OEM and EMS companies to contribute a fair share of these costs by making them aware that the marketing-driven need for halogen-free PCBs resulted in a more expensive materials and manufacturing processes, and educating their engineers that although the increased thermal resistance of some halogen-free PCBs might facilitate lead-free soldering, the added value did not come for free.

He also reminded the delegates that, although many new "green" proposals originate in Japan, and subsequently become adopted as IEC standards which European standards then have to follow, so far as the International Electrotechnical Commission is concerned, Japan has only one vote whereas the Europe Union, with 25 member states, was in a position to out-vote proposals considered not in the best interests of the European electronics industry.

Lanxess New Halogen-Free Flame Retardants for Plastics and Aviation Use

Flame retardants for plastics and now for transparent coating systems that are halogen-free using high-grade wood in aviation for aircraft cabins.

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Halogen-free flame retardants from LANXESS with transparent coatings using high-grade wood in aviation for aircraft cabins.

With Disflamoll® and Levagard™ flame retardants from Lanxess Deutschland GmbH, real wood veneers for aircraft cabins can now be coated with halogen-free transparent coating systems.

Although flame retardants for wood, plastics, elastomers and textiles already exist, until now there were none for transparent coating systems that were halogen-free. Lufthansa Technik AG, Hamburg, was looking for a way to fit flame-retardant high-grade wood veneers in luxury aircraft such as Boeing and Airbus that complied with the aviation standard FAR 25.853. This specifies that after one minute of contact with flames, the material must self-extinguish within 15 seconds. The height of the flames must not exceed 15 cm.

And, consider the previous standard system with a TCEP-modified transparent coating consistently met fire protection requirements, Lufthansa Technik AG wished to deploy halogen-free systems in the future. Alfred Clouth Lackfabrik GmbH & Co of Offenbach, whose specialties include polishable, flame-retardant high-gloss varnish for wood, came up with just the right formulation to protect aircraft fittings in compliance with relevant standards. The glass fiber-reinforced honeycomb components were laminated with impregnated real wood veneer and coated with an aliphatic, highly crosslinked polyurethane coating. The LANXESS flame retardants from the Levagard and Disflamoll ranges use impregnation and a transparent multi-layer coating system to ensure halogen-free flame retardance.

As well as aviation, this type of coating is likely to be in demand for other applications too. The application potential for impregnations and coatings containing Disflamoll and Levagar ranges from furniture right through to treating construction lumber.

The Disflamoll product range consists of various halogen-free flame retardants with plasticizing properties. These products are ideally suited for flexible PVC, phenolic resin and synthetic rubbers. Disflamoll types also find use in thermoplastics such as PC/ABS, cellulose acetate and PUR foam.

LANXESS is a leading chemicals group with production sites and agencies all over the world: a global player in the fields of chemicals, plastics and rubber.

Find information about Lanxess.

LANXESS increases prices for technical rubber products Leverkusen – The Technical Rubber Products (TRP) Business Unit of LANXESS Deutschland GmbH increased its prices worldwide for its entire product range with effect from November 1, 2005 or the termination of a contract, whichever was the later. For the products Buna® EP (EPDM), Perbunan®, Krynac®, Baymod® N (NBR), Baypren® (CR), Therban® (HNBR), Levapren®, Levamelt® and Baymod® L (EVM) average prices have increased by between €0.10 and €0.50/kg, depending on the grade.

The reason for the current price rises is a significant increase in raw material and energy costs.

New and Innovative Halogen-Free Flame Retardants from Songwon

Over a period of almost 3 years Songwon Research and Development, headed by Dr. Sangha Kim, have screened more than 100 new molecular structures, resulting in 3 new and innovative halogen free flame retardants suited to a number of key resins and their end use applications.

Songflame YA 010 and YA 020 are halogen free flame retardants based on Phosphine Oxides and are designed to be reactive with the resin backbone, principally epoxies, to give long term stability with the key advantages of being environmentally safe, non toxic and non corrosive. These important attributes are essential to their end use application for glass reinforced printed circuit boards.

Songflame TP100 is a halogen free flame retardant based on Phenol/Bi-phenol polyphosphate and is suited to a wide range of thermoplastic resins, particularly Polycarbonate, Polycarbonate blends with ABS and a wide range of Polyesters. This new molecular structure, having a higher glass transition temperature, has the key advantage of boosting the thermal strength properties in the resin matrix.

As Dr. Kim commented; “Through a greater understanding of the market needs, we have been able to focus our resources in a direction that is delivering results in the short term. Using the same foundations and from what we have learned from our screening process, we will be able to continue to develop a broader range of new products to meet the needs of improved performance, long term stability and cost effectiveness”.

Introduction – Why Halogen-free Flame Retardants?

This website is meant to illustrate the technical properties and advantages of halogen-free flame retardants (FRs) for key application areas like housings, cables, connectors and switches as well as printed wiring boards. After many years of research and development a whole toolbox of halogenfree chemistries is now available for the materials engineer. In some areas, the development of commercial solutions is
moving quickly.

Flame retardants have become a class of chemicals which receive more and more scientific and public attention. The discussions about flame retardants started, when brominated flame retardants (BFRs) became a topic of environmental concern in the early 1990ies, when it was discovered that some BFRs could form halogenated dioxins and furans under severe thermal stress or when they were burnt in accidental fires or uncontrolled combustion1. Findings in the environment and biota and the suspicion that some flame retardants bioaccumulate in organisms have added to these concerns2 3 4 5. Meanwhile, the environmental and health properties of not only BFRs but also other types of flame retardants have been studied extensively. The most widely used organic flame retardants have become the subject of official risk assessments in Europe.

What are halogen-free flame retardants7? This group
covers a diverse range of chemicals which are commonly
classified as:

Intumescent flame retardants (mechanism see Figure 1) are an example of a typical mechanism for halogen-free flame retardants. The combustible material is separated from the fire or heat source by an insulating foam which forms at the surface. Intumescent flame retardant systems can be applied to decrease flammability of thermoplastic polymers such as Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polyurethane, Polyesters and
Epoxy resins.

Figure 2 shows the current European consumption of different flame retardant types – halogen-free FRs do already
present the major market share. In addition, Figure 3 illustrates the variety of polymer types used for E&E installations,
which explains why so many different FR technologies are necessary, because FRs need to match polymer properties and specific processing requirements. The total European plastics demand for E&E applications was estimated at 3.15 million tons in 2004 (source: PlasticsEurope).

For cables the estimated total polymer consumption for 2007 will be 1.3 mio. tons, dominated by PE (52 %) and PVC (40 %). Other materials make up the remaining 8 %. Low smoke, zero halogen cables have been growing strongly in Europe and reached a consumption of 93 000
tons of polymer compounds in 2005 (source: AMI Consulting, UK).

o Inorganic: This category comprises mainly metal hydroxides
like aluminium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.
Other compounds like e.g. zinc borate are used to a
much lesser extent.
o Phosphorus based flame retardants include organic and
inorganic phosphates, phosphonates and phosphinates
as well as red phosphorus, thus covering a wide range
of phosphorus compounds with different oxidation
states.
o Nitrogen based flame retardants are typically melamine
and melamine derivatives (e.g., melamine cyanurate,
melamine polyphosphate, melem, melon). They are
often used in combination with phosphorus based
flame retardants

Over the past decade, the fate of electronic waste and the contained hazardous materials have gained increasing political attention and have led to the WEEE8 and RoHS9 Directives in Europe: The aim of these regulations is that electronic waste shall be properly recovered and recycled; new equipment shall not contain problematic substances. Flame retardants are affected, because according to the WEEE directive, plastics containing brominated flame retardants have to be separated before further treatment of the waste. Under RoHS, certain brominated flame retardants10 are no longer allowed in new electronic equipment since July 2006.

Other regions of the world are about to follow with similar legislation. These activities increased the interest in halogenfree flame retardants, not only in engineering plastics but also in thermoset resins and printed wiring boards. In addition to legal requirements, ecolabels have been introduced since the 1970ies as voluntary measures in order to promote environmentally friendly products. The idea is that the consumer can make a conscientious decision for such products, if they are labelled according to an accepted and respected scheme. Worldwide, today, there are about 25 ecolabel organizations and schemes (see: http://www.gen.gr.jp). Even in Europe there are several national labels in addition to the EU flower. Ecolabels are specifically designed to go beyond legal requirements like RoHS, because they are meant to endorse the “best in class” and advance environmental benchmarks. Traditionally, many ecolabel systems have prohibited the use of halogenated flame retardants in their criteria for electronic products (e.g. EU label, Blue Angel in Germany, Nordic Swan in Scandinavia, TCO in Sweden). Often, the flame retardants which are used in products need to be declared to the ecolabelling organization. Ecolabels are also relevant for green public procurement, because e.g. in Europe ecolabel criteria can be included in public calls for tender.

Due to this regulatory and environmental pressure, a number of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have developed phase out plans for BFRs, some have even made strong commitments with deadlines e.g.

o Apple has made the commitment to ban all BFRs by the end of 2008: http://www.apple.com/hotnews/agreenerapple/
o Dell’s policy states that it intends to move away from chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic.It has also pledged to eliminate all brominated flame retardants and PVC from new product designs by 2009. http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/corporate/environ/report07.pdf
o In Nokia’s most recent list of restricted substance, BFRs are also no longer permitted for new products: http://www.nokia.com/NOKIA_COM_1/Corporate_Responsibility/Environment_/Built_green/Substance_management/NokiaSubstanceList_Version_10.xls
o Sony Ericsson also restricts halogenated flame retardants: http://www.sonyericsson.com/images/spgd/CWS31AFW_15308_27_0_4001.pd

In Western Europe, USA and Japan, the public consciousness of the hazardous halgonenated products, the industrial end-user initiatives and the environmental legislation push together the market trend to halogen-free products.

In Western Europe, USA and Japan, the public consciousness of the hazardous halgonenated products, the industrial end-user initiatives and the environmental legislation push together the market trend to halogen-free products.

Halogen-free Flame Retardant Markets boom worldwide. Fire protection standards stimulate markets In Western Europe, USA and Japan, the public consciousness of the hazardous halgonenated products, the industrial end-user initiatives and the environmental legislation push together the market trend to halogen-free products. New Study by hkc22.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRLog (Press Release) – Oct 05, 2007 – Halogen-free Flame Retardant Markets boom worldwide. Fire protection standards stimulate markets In Western Europe, USA and Japan, the public consciousness of the hazardous halgonenated products, the industrial end-user initiatives and the environmental legislation push together the market trend to halogen-free products. New Study by hkc22.com http://www.hkc22.com/flameretardants.html Halogen-free Flame retardants market will increase from 1.85bn US $ in 2006 and to 2.72 bn US $ in 2010 worldwide. Nanotechnology will play the key role in improving fire-retardant performance and reducing production costs.Halogen-free flame retardants show strong increase worldwide. In Western Europe, USA and Japan, the public consciousness of the hazardous halgonenated products, the industrial end-user initiatives and the environmental legislation push together the market trend to halogen-free products. In China, Eastern Europe and other parts of Asia, the booming economy and the strengthened fire protection standards stimulate the market of fire retardants overall, from which the halogenated and non-halogenated products both benefit. The highest increase is to be seen in China with more than 13 percent. Slightly slow growth in Western Europe and USA, ranging from 9%-11%, The world market in total will grow from 1.62 bn US $ in 2005 and to 2.72 bn US $ in 2010. The average global annual growth rate is more than 10%, in comparison with 5% of the general flame retardants market.

Non-Halogen Intumescent Flame Retardant For Polyolefines

GD-APP104 Non-Halogen intumescent Flame Retardant For Polyolefines

Specification:

Appearance
white powder

Phosphorus mass fraction%
22.0-24.0

Water content %
0.5Max

Density g/cm3
about 1.8

Bulk density g/cm3
about 0.5

Thermal decomposition onset, scan rate 30 degrees C/min, degrees C
250 Min

Particle size ,um
25 Max.

Key properties:
GD-APP104 is a non-halogenated flame retardant based on GD-APP101, which develops its effectiveness through phosphorus/nitrogen synergism. When incorporated into polyolefine, it shows high processing stability and no migration.

GD-APP104 differs in its mode of action from halogenated flame retardants in the fire. When the polyolefine on exposure to flame, the carbon foam layer formed protects the polymer through its heat insulating effect to reduce further oxygen access and prevent dripping of the polymer. At the same time there are no thrill halogen hydride gases to produce.

Applications:
GD-APP104, may be mostly used in a range of thermoplastics,rubber,resin, especially PP, PE, EVA, TPE etc., which is suitable extrusion and injection moulding applications. The flame retardant property reaches UL94 V-0 Level.

Package:
Fiber drum, Container big bag,Kraft bag, Woven PVC bag (polyethylene liner)
25 Kg per bag or on customer's request.

ammonium polyphosphate flame retardant

Non-Halogen Intumescent Flame Retardant For Polyolefines (ammonium polyphosphate flame retardant)

Specification:

Appearance	—	White free-flowing powder
Water / Moisture	%(w/w)	≤ 0.5
Nitrogen	%(w/w)	11.5-13.5
Phosphorus	%(w/w)	22.0-24.0
Density	g/cm³	approx. 1.8
Bulk Density	g/cm³	approx. 0.4
Average Particle Size (D50)	µm	approx. 15
Decomposition Temperature	℃	> 250

GD-APP104 equivalent to Clariant GmbH's Exolit AP 750.

Key properties:
GD-APP104 is a non-halogenated flame retardant based on GD-APP101, which develops its effectiveness through phosphorus/nitrogen synergism. When incorporated into polyolefine, it shows high processing stability and no migration.

GD-APP104 differs in its mode of action from halogenated flame retardants in the fire. When the polyolefine on exposure to flame, the carbon foam layer formed protects the polymer through its heat insulating effect to reduce further oxygen access and prevent dripping of the polymer. At the same time there are no thrill halogen hydride gases to produce.

Applications:
GD-APP104, may be mostly used in a range of thermoplastics,rubber,resin, especially PP, PE, EVA, TPE etc., which is suitable extrusion and injection moulding applications. The flame retardant property reaches UL94 V-0 Level.

Package:
25 kg net bag with PE liner or 500 kg, 600kg net big bag or on customer's request.

Storage and Handling:
Store in a dry and cool area.
Avoid inhalation, ingestion, and contact with eyes and skin.

Epoxy resin cladding ammonium polyphosphate

Specification:

Appearance	—	White free-flowing powder
Whiteness (Reflectance)	—	≥ 92.0
pH value, 10% suspension, 25 ℃	—	6.0 - 7.5
Solubility in Water, 25 ℃, g/100mLH2O	%(w/w)	≤ 0.04
Nitrogen	%(w/w)	16.0-18.0
Phosphorus	%(w/w)	28.0-30.0
Viscosity,10% suspension, 25 ℃	mpa.s	≤ 20.0
Degree of polymerization	—	>1000
Average Particle Size (D50)	µm	approx. 15
Particle Size Distribution	%(w/w)
	> 45 µm	≤1.0
	> 74 µm	≤ 0.2

Key properties:
GD-APP 103 is a product based on ammonium polyphosphate. It is manufactured from GD-APP 101 by microencapsulation with epoxy resin according to our own method.

Characteristic of GD-APP103:

1,Reduce water solubility;

2,Reduce air hygroscopicity;

3,Reduce viscosity in water;

4,Obviously improve dispersibility and compatibility with plastic materials;

5,Increase fluidity of powder;

6,Improve thermal expansion efficiency during inflaming retarding process.

Applications:
GD-APP103 is an effective fire retardant for applications such as:

1,Various kinds of expanding fire-refractory coating;

2,Thermal plasticity polyolefin and unsaturated arene plastic;

3,Isocyanurate foam;

4,Epoxy resin and unsaturated resin;

5,Cable and rubber;

6,Plastic material of electron device.

Package:
25 kg net bag with PE liner or 500 kg, 600kg net big bag or on customer's request.

Storage and Handling:
Store in a dry and cool area.
Avoid inhalation, ingestion, and contact with eyes and skin.

Melamine cladding ammonium polyphosphate

Melamine cladding ammonium polyphosphate(crystal II , n>1000)

Specification:

Appearance	—	White free-flowing powder
Whiteness (Reflectance)	—	≥ 92.0
pH value, 10% suspension, 25 ℃	—	7.5 – 9.0
Solubility in Water, 25 ℃, g/100mLH2O	%(w/w)	≤ 0.05
Nitrogen	%(w/w)	18.0-20.0
Phosphorus	%(w/w)	28.0-30.0
Viscosity,10% suspension, 25 ℃	mpa.s	≤ 20.0
Degree of polymerization	—	> 1000
Average Particle Size (D50)	µm	approx. 15
Particle Size Distribution	%(w/w)
	> 45 µm	≤1.0
	> 74 µm	≤ 0.2

GD-APP102 equivalent to Clariant GmbH's Exolit AP 462

Key properties:
GD-APP 102 is a product based on ammonium polyphosphate. It is manufactured from GD-APP 101 by microencapsulation with melamine resin according to our own method.

1,Very low water solubility - GD-APP102 has low water solubility that is no more than 0.10g/100mlH2O at 20 degrees C, which makes it useful in application where the product is exposed to high humidity conditions or water.

2,High phosphorus content and nitrogen content-GD-APP102 contains 68.0% phosphorus (as P2O5) and 18.0%nitrogen which makes it a very effective fire retardant.

3,Low viscosity - viscosity of GD-APP102 is below 20mpa.s.

4,Thermal decomposition onset that is above 295 degrees C, which makes it be widely used to plastic with different melt-point temperature.

5,Non-halogen-GD-APP102 is a highly effective non-halogen fire retardant.

Applications:
1,GD-APP102 can be used advantageously in intumescent coating for exterior application where the ammonium polyphosphate is required to have extremely low water solubility

2,GD-APP102 can be used in cellulose-containing materials (paper, wood, car's fireproof cloth, military cellulose materials).

3,GD-APP102 can be used in various polymers for exterior application.

Package:
25 kg net bag with PE liner or 500 kg, 600kg net big bag or on customer's request.

Storage and Handling:
Store in a dry and cool area.
Avoid inhalation, ingestion, and contact with eyes and skin.

GD-APP101 Crystalline Ⅱ ammonium polyphosphate

GD-APP101 Crystalline Ⅱ ammonium polyphosphate
with high polymerization degree (crystal II , n>1000)

Specification:

Appearance	—	White free-flowing powder
Whiteness (Reflectance)	—	≥ 92.0
pH value, 10% suspension, 25 ℃	—	5.5 - 7.0
Acid number, mgKOH/g	—	≤ 1.0
Solubility in Water, 25 ℃, g/100mLH2O	%(w/w)	≤ 0.5
Nitrogen	%(w/w)	14.0-15.0
Phosphorus (as P2O5)	%(w/w)	72.0-74.0
Density	g/cm3	approx. 1.9
Bulk density	g/cm3	approx. 0.7
Viscosity,10% suspension, 25 ℃	mPa.s	≤ 80, or on customer's request
Degree of polymerization	—	> 1000
Weight Loss	%(w/w)
	350℃	approx. 5
	450℃	approx. 10
	550℃	approx. 20
Average Particle Size (D50)	µm	approx. 15, or on customer's request
Particle Size Distribution	%(w/w)
	<>	≥ 98.0
	>100 µm	≤ 0.2

GD-APP101 equivalent to Clariant GmbH's Exolit AP 422, 423 and Budenheim FR Cros 484

Key properties:
GD-APP101 is a fine-particle ammonium polyphosphate produced by a special method.The pruduct is largely insoluble in water and completely insoluble in organic solvent. It is white, non-hygroscopic and non-flammable,whose crystalline form is II,n>1000.

1,Low water solubility GD-APP101 has low water solubility which makes it useful in application where the product is exposed to high humidity conditions or water.

2,High phosphorus content GD-APP101 contains 72.5% phosphorus (as P2O5) which makes it a very effective fire retardant.

3,Nearly neutral PH-GD-APP101 can be neutralized or brought to the alkaline side by the addition of small amounts od ammonium hydroxide.

4,Non-halogen GD-APP101 is a highly effective non-halogen fire retardant.

Applications:
1, Solvent based intumescent coatings.

2, Water based intumescent coatings.

3, Flame retardant for flexible and rigid urethane foams.

4, Flame retardant for unsaturated polyesters.

5, Flame retardant for epoxies.

6, Flame retardant for acrylics.

7, Flame retardant for polyurethanes.

Package:
25 kg net bag with PE liner or 500 kg, 600kg net big bag or on customer's request.

Storage and Handling:
Store in a dry and cool area.
Avoid inhalation, ingestion, and contact with eyes and skin.

Ammonium Polyphosphate (APP)

Identification

Synonyms: APP; Polyphosphoric acids, ammonium salts

CAS No.: 68333-79-9

Molecular Formula: (NH4PO3)n

Structural Formula:

Phase II:

Application*

Phase I: intumescent flame-retardant component for coating, wood, paper, plywood, cable, fiber, plastic, rubber, resin, component of fire-extinguishing dry-powder for fire of forest, oil-well, and coal mine.

Phase II: Due to its low solubility in water, Phase II APP is particularly suitable as an "acid donor" for intumescent flame-retardant paints or coating, which is applied in steel structures, wood/plastic applied in building material, adhesives and sealants, non-halogenated flexible and rigid polyurethane foams, as well as cellulose-contained paper and wood products

Specification*

Item	Phase I	Phase II	Phase II Microencapsulated by Melamine
P content	-	31-33%	28% min.
N content	14~15%	13-15%	15.5% min.
P2O5 Content	69% min.	-	-
water	-	0.25% max	1.0% max.
Average Polymerization Degree	70	>1000	>1000
PH (1% water suspension/solution)	5.5~6.5	5.5-7.5	6.5~7.5
PH (10% water Solution)	5.2~6.2	-	-
Water Soluble Matter (25 deg. C, 10% suspension)	-	0.5% max	0.05% max.
Viscosity in Water (25 deg. C, 10% suspension)	-	100mPa.S max	20mPa.S max.
Density	-	1.9g/cm3	1.9g/cm3
Bulk density	-	~0.7g/cm3	~0.7g/cm3
Decomposition T	-	275 deg C.	300 deg. C
Average particle size	325 mesh	8~15 microns	10~20 microns
Appearance	white powder	white powder	white powder

Standard Packing

25kgs net /paper bag with PE lining bag; 1000kg/supper sacks

Risks and Safety Info

Not regulated by UN, US DOT, EU

May cause slight skin irritation but not irritating to the mucous membranes.

S 24/25 Avoid contact with skin and eyes

React with alkaline solutions to form ammonia and can contribute to eutrophication of stagnant waters.

Ammonium Polyphosphate(APP)

1.ammonium polyphosphate Brief Introduction:

Its chemical stability is good, may not have chemical change when mixes with other materials.It is smoke suppressioning and low toxic. Widely applies in the expansive fireretardant coating, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, epoxy resin, rubber product, fiberboard and the dry chemical agent and so on. It is one kind of safe and also most important highly effective phosphorus non-halogen smoke suppressioning fire retardant.

2.Performance index:

Type No.	FR-CH-1	FR-CH-2
Appearance	white powder	white powder
Content of P2O5 (%)	≥ 69	≥ 69
Content of N( %)	≥ 14	≥ 14
Average polymerlzation degree n	≥ 64	≥ 59
PH value（ 1 % aqueous solution）	6-7	6-7
PH value（ 10 % slurry）	5.5-7	5.5-7
Fineness	325	600

4.Packing

25kg/40kg polypropylene woven bag inner lining polyethylene film, dampproof; Storage period; 1 year.