Melamine based flame retardants represent a small but fast growing segment
in the flame retardant market.
These products offer particular advantages over existing
flame retardants:
In this family of non-halogenated flame retardants, three chemical groups can be distinguished;
pure melamine, melamine derivatives, i.e. salts with organic or inorganic acids such as boric acid, cyanuric acid,
phosphoric acid or pyro/poly-phosphoric acid, and melamine homologues such as melam, melem and melon.
The latter finding only experimental use at this stage.
Melamine based flame retardants show excellent flame retardant properties and versatility in use because of their ability to employ various modes
of flame retardant action.
FR Mechanism
Melamine derivatives
Halogen/
Antimony
Organo
phosphorus
Metalhydroxides
Chemical interference
Heat sink
Char formation
Intumescence
Inert gaz
heat transfert (dripping)
Currently, main areas of application for melamine based flame retardants
are flexible polyurethane foams, intumescent coatings, polyamides and
thermoplastic polyurethanes. Through continued research and application
development work, the market for melamine based flame retardants will further
expand in the near future, f.i. in the direction of polyolefins and thermoplastic
polyesters.
