Flame Retardancy Workshop at the Empa-Academy
On 8 May 2014, a workshop on Trends in Fire retardancy Research took place at the Swiss Research and Service Establishment for Materials Science and Technology Development EMPA in Dübendorf near Zurich. The workshop focused on requirements for developing sustainable flame retarded materials (flame retardants and finished products) for future needs. The main topics of the workshop were “Novel chemistry in the field of flame retardants”, “Applications and processing “ as well as “ New materials and products”.
Special emphasis was put on future legislations, which will drive the flame retardant development. The workshop involved a full day program with two separate sessions and eminent speakers and experts from academia and industry.
The morning session (4 speakers) was in German language and sponsored by EMPA and the Commission for Technology and Information CTI Switzerland.
The afternoon session (4 speakers) was in English with an EU wide target audience sponsored by COST (COST Action MP1105) and EMPA. COST is a research cooperation started by the European Commission, which has initiated the 4 year European Research Project “FLARETEX”. It aims at finding sustainable flame retardants for textiles and similar materials in order to replace problematic chemicals which are currently being used.
The presentations gave a good overview on status and future trends for novel flame retardants systems in plastics and textiles. They dealt with research on the mode of action, synergism and intumescence of flame retardants, particularly of phosphorus-containing systems in engineering plastics, with academic vs. industrial feasibility, as well as with reaction to fire regulations and tests and the toxicity of fire gases.
Details Program: http://www.empa.ch/plugin/template/empa/*/145318