BCC Research Flame 2008 Conference Session4

Robert H. White, USDA, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, Madison, WI; John Forsman, John Erickson, Michigan Technological University, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Houghton, MI

Finding value-added uses for manufacturing waste is one way to improve the economics of a business. In this project, we investigated the technical aspects of using excess trim materials from the manufacture of molded chair parts to produced fire-retardant-treated flakeboards. Over 80% of the aspen mill residue of floor sweepings and trim was used to provide 20% of the final product. The other 80% was standard disk flaked aspen strands. Flakeboards were prepared using two levels of adhesive loading (5% and 7% methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI)) and three levels of fire-retardant treatments (6%, 9%, and 12% disodium octaborate tetrahydrate) The treated samples were tested in the cone calorimeter for fire performance. While the results of the treated samples were better than the untreated samples, the results from the cone calorimeter were poorer than expected for a viable fire-retardant-treated wood product.

9:00-9:30 a.m.
Flame Retardant Nylon/Cotton Blend military Fabrics Using Hydroxy-functional Organophosphorus Oligomer
Charles Q. Yang, Hui Yang, Department of Textiles, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

In our previous research, we developed a flame retardant finishing system for cotton based on the combination of a hydroxyl-functional organophosphorus oligomer (HFPO) and a bonding agent such as dimethyloldihydroxylethyleneurea (DMDHEU) and trimethylolmelamine (TMM). In this research, we found that HFPO and DMDHEU are able to form polymeric crosslinked polymeric network on nylon and approximately 40% HFPO was retained on the nylon after 10 laundering cycles and that DMDHEU is more effective as a bonding agent for HFPO to nylon than TMM with less fabric stiffening effect. We applied the HFPO/DMDHEU system for the flame retardant finishing of the nylon/cotton (50/50) blend fabrics known as batter Dress uniform (BFU) military fabrics. Two nylon/cotton BDU fabrics (a thicker "woodland" fabric and a thinner "dessert" fabric) were used in this study. The treated fabrics show high levels of flame retardant performance and excellent laundering durability. The treated fabric passes the vertical flammability test after 40 laundering cycles. The HFPO concentration and HFPO/DMDHEU ratio plays critical roles in the formation of the crosslinked polymeric network therefore in determining the flame retardant performance of the treated fabrics. The fabric treated with HFPO/DMDHEU also demonstrated very low strength loss and limited increase in fabric stiffness.

9:30-10:00 a.m.
Textile Flame Retardancy ¾ a State-of-the-Art Overview
Edward D. Weil, Polytechnic University, Brooklyn, NY; Charles Q. Yang, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

The present practices in flame retarding both synthetic and natural textiles will be discussed, with information about recent advances. Traditional non-durable, semi-durable and durable finishes continue to be used but some improvements have been made and a few new materials have been introduced. A very active area for flame retardant treatments, flame-resistant fibers, fire barrier fabrics and special constructions in mattresses has been created by California (2005) and Federal (2007) open-flame fire standards. Asia is becoming increasingly important as both source and market for textile and other flame retardants, and textile flame retardancy R&D in Asia is also very active.

10:00-10:30 a.m.
New Trends in Flame Retardant Thermoplastics for Electronic Applications. Industry Response to New Regulations and Market Needs
S.V. Levchik, P. Moy, ICL-IP America, Ardsley, NY, USA; Y. Bar Yaakov, I. Finberg, P. Georlette, ICL-IP, Beer Sheva, Israel

This paper will report new developments in brominated and phosphorus-based flame retardants for thermoplastics in the electronic industry. A scientific approach to design of optimal flame retardant system is suggested which addresses the required properties and provides sustainable solutions in view of health, safety and environmental aspects. Beside two major basic products (decabromodiphenyl oxide and decabromo-diphenylethane) mainly used for low cost and less demanding applications, several other more sophisticated brominated FRs are used by the electronic industries. During recent years, oligomeric phosphates showed considerable growth, thanks to their good cost efficiency and performance. A new solid bisphosphate especially designed for compounders who are not equipped with liquid handling systems will be presented in this paper.

10:30-11:00 a.m. Coffee Break

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