Article Contents
Flame Retardant Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS) and Notoxicom® S6000 (FR PC/ASA)
Polymer Compounders Limited (PCL) are very proud to announce an entirely new category of product which will redefine flame retardant polymers. After many years of complex research and development, Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS) and Notoxicom® S6000 (FR PC/ASA) have now been launched. Over time it is expected that the Notoxicom® family of products will grow further to support the innovation of our customers.
Why Notoxicom?
Notoxicom® is our registered tradename for specialist halogen and aryl ester free flame retardant polymers. What makes these materials so special is that they retain industry-leading performance, whilst being much less toxic products. Within this range, we have polymers to suit many applications from battery casings to the state-of-the-art medical devices
“World’s first UL94 V0 at 0.8 mm halogen and aryl phosphate ester free, very low toxicity FR PC/ABS and FR PC/ASA materials that do not compromise on material properties and give lightweighting advantages.”
(Stephen Blair, 2022, Technical Manager).
“Flame Retardants. A Changing Landscape” – This is a special Keynote about the impact of new legislation from both Europe and overseas and how our innovative polymeric materials within the Notoxicom® product family can help with this ever-evolving situation. Additionally, we will share some exciting updates surrounding the early adopters of our Notoxicom® materials and how they have benefited from them.
Let’s start the conversation together…
**Presentation download link: https://polymer-compounders.com/en/do... **
What Is #ECOFRAM 2022?
ECOFRAM 2022 is the 3rd international conference on eco-friendly flame retardant additives and materials. IMT Mines Alès, University of Montpellier, Engineering School of Chemistry of Montpellier (ENSCM) and Société Chimique de France (SCF) are pleased to announce that the Third International Conference on Eco-Friendly Flame Retardant Additives and Materials (ECOFRAM) will take place in Alès, on the 17th and 18th May 2022. Over the two days, the conference will be devoted to state-of-the-art and the latest developments of fundamental and applied research concerning eco-friendly flame retardant additives and materials.
ECOFRAM 2022 – “Flame Retardants. A Changing Landscape” – Video Transcript (English)
- The next speaker is
from the company PCL.
So James Houlder, please.
Of the Polymer,
coming from the marketing
and the IT department.
He’s the manager of this department.
So you will present a…
- We’re both going to present.
- Okay, okay, okay, okay.
- So we’ll have the same…
the other microphone.
- So…
Okay.
So this?
- Yeah.
- You will take the other microphone?
- Yeah.
- If you wanted to have
a better microphone?
- Yes.
- Oh, sorry,
I’ll give you this microphone.
- Thank you.
No worries.
- And you will use this one?
- Yeah.
All right, welcome, everyone.
I’m James and this is Callum.
And we’re from a company
called Polymer Compounders.
We’re based in the UK.
- And this is our presentation,
“Flame Retardants: A Changing Landscape.”
- We are an engineering
thermoplastics manufacturer
and we specialize in ABS, PC,
ASA, and PC/ABS blends,
and we also deal with large OEMs
such as Nissan and Renault.
- First of all,
we’re going to speak about
current flame retardant technologies.
In FR ABS, global regulators are concerned
that halogen’s escaping
when the flame retardant is combusted.
An alternative to FR
ABS would be FR PC/ABS,
which commonly uses low melting point,
non-halogenated liquid suspended
within the polymer matrix.
Although they do seem like a safer option,
they are becoming of
increasing concern to the ECHA,
the European Chemicals Agency.
- Which leads us on to the
evolution of flame retardants,
starting with the bottom left-hand corner,
you have the brominated technologies
which are commonly used in FR ABS.
Moving on, then,
to the FR PC/ABS technologies,
that are liquid-based and non-halogenated,
and then ultimately, ending at the top
with polyphosphonate co-carbonates,
such as Notoxicom,
which we’re here today to discuss,
which we also believe is the future.
- We’re going to look at some developments
from around the world.
We touched upon the ECHA earlier,
and they’re constantly
updating their CoRAP list,
their Community Rolling Action Plan list,
and adding chemicals all the time.
Brominate flame retardants
are due to be banned
in electrical displays in the USA
in states such as New York and Washington
from 2024,
and they announced that
at the start of this year
in 2022.
(audience member whispers)
A bit closer to home,
back in Europe, the medical industry,
European Healthcare Without Harm,
who advise chemicals
in the medical industry
have announced a phase-out list,
which incorporate these chemicals.
Erin Brockovich also wrote
an article in the Guardian
talking about long-lasting chemicals
and toxic chemicals that
are threatening humanity,
and having an effect on
endocrine disruption.
It’s been linked to plummeting
sperm counts in men.
- Which leads us on to
“Flame Retardants: A Changing Landscape.”
So flame retardants and thermoplastics
are a growing health concern,
regarding the toxicity…
There’s a growing health concern
regarding the toxicity of
flame retardants and polymers.
The ECHA have now added
the most widely-used
flame retardant packages
to their list of substances of concern,
also known as the CoRAP sin list.
- TDBA is the main
flame retardant chemical that’s used.
Bromine and Bisphenol A
have been added to the ECHA’s CoRAP list.
They are suspected of causing cancer.
They bio-accumulate and
are toxic to human health,
and they are also under assessment
for endocrine disruption.
This is sourced from
the ECHA’s own website.
- So, flame retardants in PC/ABS.
So the natural progression from FR ABS is,
the technology is FR PC/ABS.
Although the technologies
are slightly similar,
they also are at risk of being banned
due to the toxicity
and endocrine disruption.
- So now, we’re going to look
at the chemicals involved
in flame retardant PC/ABS
and flame retardant PC/ASA.
They contain RDP,
which in turn, contains TPP,
which is under investigation
for endocrine disruption.
This is…
Oh, sorry.
This is also being sourced
from the ECHA’s own website.
- But it’s not all doom and gloom.
Introducing Notoxicom.
A superior halogen-free flame retardant
with non-migratory chemicals
that do not bio-accumulate
and a more favourable toxicity profile.
- Notoxicom.
The world’s first
UL94 V0
at 0.8 millimetres.
It’s halogen-free,
using polyphosphonate
co-carbonate technology.
So now, we want to compare and contrast
the different flame retardant types,
beginning with halogenated FRs.
Brominated flame retardants.
They do not migrate from the host plastic
as the halogens are embedded
within the polymer matrix.
But when they are burned,
they are suspected of being
toxic to human health.
As James explained before,
PBs have already been banned in 2004,
and we expect TB BPA to follow
as they are toxic and bio-accumulate,
and migrate from the host plastic.
Then we move on to the phosphates.
They contain smaller molecules.
Although they are halogen-free
and do appear to be a safer material,
they can migrate from the host plastic,
and there are many environmental concerns,
as we touched upon before.
Then we move on to polyphosphonate blends.
They are halogen-free.
They do not migrate or bio-accumulate,
and have a more favourable
toxicity profile.
Now we’re going to touch
on the toxicity profile
in a bit more detail.
- So, Notoxicom has passed
strict aviation testing
for smoke toxicity,
and is well below the minimum requirements
needed to pass the test.
- As you can see,
Notoxicom is a very well-rounded material.
Not only does it have
superior flame retardancy,
it has a lower density,
which means it’s greener,
and less material needs to be used,
and there’s no drop in heat
or strength performance.
- So here is a quote from
one of our customers.
So this is an example of an application
that Notoxicom is being
used as at the moment.
It’s a lithium-ion battery application.
The quote at the top is from a gentlemen
called Martin Zivold,
who is very happy with
the green credentials
of the material,
and is also enjoying the greener benefits
of switching over to Notoxicom.
- Notoxicom.
This is the technical datasheet
for one of our injection moulding rings.
Please feel free to scan the QR code
if you would like to take
another look at the datasheet
in a bit more detail.
But as we mentioned before,
it has a superior flame retardancy
with a V0 rating of 0.8 millimetres.
It has excellent impact performance,
high flow,
and excellent glow wire
flammability at 960 degrees.
- So, Notoxicom was tested
under lab conditions
to see how it compares to
standard FR ABS technology
in both glow wire and
comparative index tracking.
The data shows that B6000,
so Notoxicom B6000,
maintains the performance
when compared to typical
FR PC/ABS material.
And from the images provided,
you can see the before and after shots
of the testing process
with Notoxicom B6000 being
the one on the right.
- So now, we’re going have
a little bit of a look
at the recycling robustness of Notoxicom.
This is the impact results
after one pass of recycling
and is compared to other
FR PC/ABS technologies.
As you can see from the data,
B6000 still maintains a
higher impact strength
after one pass of recycling in comparison.
It’s still higher.
- So, Notoxicom also
maintains its V0 rating
after one pass of recycling.
So as you can see,
you have the other materials
that it was compared against
during the testing.
- Let’s start the conversation together.
With these future changes
in the legislation pending,
are you ready for a greener future?
There are real alternative
solutions available,
and we are ready to support
your future developments
for a greener future.
- Thank you for listening.
(audience applauds)
- We have time for some questions.
- Thank you for your presentation.
I have one question.
It’s about the performance
of your material.
For example,
doing the UL94 tests at 0.4 millimetres.
And also, if you can comment
on the corrosivity of the compound?
- We haven’t done testing
down to 0.4 millimetres yet.
The lowest we’ve gone is to 0.75,
but we’ve only put 0.8 on there.
In terms of the…
do you want me to…
- Yeah.
Could you just elaborate
on that last point for me?
Just that other question, sorry?
- If there is an effect
in the corrosivity.
for example, of the extruder device,
or if it’s similar to
the normal formulation?
- Yes, so our formulation is very robust,
and if anything was to change,
it actually gets better over time.
So you can essentially run
it over and over again.
Just given the nature of
the polymeric formula,
it’s able to withstand
repeated processing.
And the aspect of having
no leachables as well.
It doesn’t degrade like common
halogenated-based materials.
I hope that answers your question.
If you’d like to go a little bit deeper,
we can connect you up with
our technical manager,
and we can talk a bit more.
- Hi.
- Thank you.
- I have a question about
the mechanism of action
of the product.
Can you give us some details?
How does it work exactly?
- So, we use a blend of polymers together,
so there isn’t any sort of additive as such.
We’ve blended various polymers,
but we can’t, obviously
go into too much detail
about what we’ve done.
- Yes.
It would be interesting to
detail how it works exactly.
The kind of chemistry
and the mechanism involved
with the flame retardants.
- Yeah, apologies,
that’s a little bit out of our scope,
but we could refer you
to our technical manager,
and give you a full-detailed
answer in the break
if that’s okay?
- Okay, okay.
- Okay?
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- Another question?
(audience member chuckles)
- Thank you for the presentation.
Are your additives
efficient in other matrixes?
- We’ve only tested it in
PC/ABS and PC/ASA so far. - We also have a
polycarbonate blend as well,
which is also the one
that is going under strict
aviation testing at the moment.
So it’s working its way around
the different categories of materials
for efficacy.
- Last question?
- Can you comment on the
source of these poly…
I don’t know what it is, but…
Can you comment on the chemistry,
or not the chemistry,
I would say the source of
these polyphosphonates?
- I can.
- When you could confirm?
- We can elaborate on the partnership.
- Yeah.
- We are unable to divulge
the formulation used.
That’s into kind of IP,
but we can divulge the partner anyway.
- Yeah, FRX Polymers
are a partner of ours,
who we’ve worked with.
And apologies, we’re not,
sort of, typically chemists,
so we couldn’t elaborate a bit
more on the chemistry side.
But yeah, FRX Polymers is a partner of us.
- Thank you.
(audience applauds)
- Thank you very much.
- The last speaker of this session
will be…
Yeah, let’s see, Ibanez Brugues,
from Barcelona.
- [Audience Member] I missed that.
- Mr Ibanez Brugues
has two master’s degrees.
One in drawing techniques
and the other one in materials.
He still lives in
Barcelona, in (indistinct).
And in the city of Barcelona?
- Yeah.
- And so now, he is working at…
- [Audience Member] Thank you.
- (indistinct) Accident,
as technical manager,
marketing manager for
(indistinct) Intelligence.
ECOFRAM 2022 – “Flame Retardants. A Changing Landscape” – Video Transcript (French)
- Le prochain intervenant
est de la société PCL.
James Houlder, s’il vous plaît.
Il travail chez Polymer,
au département marketing et informatique.
C’est le manager de ce département.
Vous allez présenter…
- On va tous les deux présenter.
- OK, OK, OK, OK.
- On aura le même…
l’autre micro.
- Donc…
OK.
Ceci ?
- Oui.
- Vous prendrez l’autre micro ?
- Oui.
- Si vous voulez
un meilleur micro ?
- Oui.
- Désolé,
je vous donne ce micro.
- Merci.
Pas de soucis.
- Vous utiliserez celui-là ?
- Oui.
Très bien, bienvenue à tous.
Je m’appelle James et voici Callum.
On travail chez Polymer Compounders,
basée au Royaume-Uni.
- Voici notre présentation,
« Les agents ignifuges :
Un paysage changeant. »
- Nous sommes un fabricant de
thermoplastiques techniques,
spécialisés dans l’ABS, le PC,
l’ASA et les mélanges PC/ABS,
nous traitons également avec
de grands équipementiers
tels que Nissan et Renault.
- Tout d’abord,
on va parler
des technologies actuelles d’ignifugation.
Dans le cas FR ABS,
les régulateurs mondiaux
s’inquiètent des halogènes
qui s’échappent lors de la combustion
la substance ignifuge.
Une alternative au FR
ABS serait le PC/ABS FR,
qui utilise généralement un
liquide non halogéné à faible
point de fusion en suspension
dans la matrice polymère.
Bien qu’ils semblent être
une option plus sûre,
ils suscitent de plus en plus
d’inquiétude auprès de ECHA,
l’Agence européenne
des produits chimiques.
- Ce qui nous amène
à l’évolution des agents ignifuges
en commençant par le
côté inférieur gauche,
où l’on trouve les technologies bromées
couramment utilisées dans les FR ABS.
Nous passons ensuite
aux technologies PC/ABS FR,
qui sont à base de
liquide et non halogénées,
et enfin, nous terminons
par les polyphosphonates cocarbonates,
tels que Notoxicom,
dont nous discutons aujourd’hui
et qui, selon nous, représentent l’avenir.
- On va examiner certains développements
dans le monde entier.
On a évoqué plus tôt ECHA,
qui met constamment à jour sa liste CoRAP
et ajoute sans cesse
des produits chimiques.
Les agents ignifuges bromés
devraient être interdits
dans l’affichage électrique aux États-Unis
dans des États tels que
New York et Washington
à partir de 2024,
et ils l’ont annoncé au
début de cette année.
Un peu plus près de chez nous,
en Europe, l’industrie médicale,
European Healthcare Without Harm,
qui promeut une pratique de
la médecine non destructrice,
a annoncé une liste
d’élimination progressive,
qui comprend ces produits chimiques.
Erin Brockovich a
également écrit un article
dans le Guardian
pour parler des produits
chimiques durables
et toxiques qui menacent l’humanité
et qui ont un effet sur la
perturbation endocrinienne.
Ils ont été associés à la diminution
du nombre de spermatozoïdes
chez les hommes.
- Ce qui nous amène à :
« Les agents ignifuges :
Un paysage changeant. »
Les agents ignifuges
et les thermoplastiques
sont un problème de santé croissant,
concernant la toxicité…
Il y a une préoccupation
sanitaire croissante
concernant la toxicité
des agents ignifuges et des polymères.
ECHA a ajouté
les agents ignifuges les plus utilisées
à sa liste de substances préoccupantes,
également connue sous
le nom de liste CoRAP.
- Le TDBA est le principal
produit chimique ignifuge utilisé.
Le brome et le bisphénol A
ont été ajoutés à la liste CoRAP de ECHA.
Ils sont susceptibles
de provoquer le cancer.
Ils sont bio-accumulables et
toxiques pour la santé humaine
et font également l’objet d’une évaluation
en vue d’une perturbation endocrinienne.
Ces informations sont
tirées du site web de ECHA.
- Les ignifuges dans le PC/ABS.
La progression naturelle du FR ABS
est donc la technologie du PC/ABS FR.
Bien que les technologies
soient légèrement similaires,
elles risquent également d’être interdites
en raison de leur toxicité
et de leur perturbation endocrinienne.
- Examinons les produits
chimiques impliqués
dans le PC/ABS ignifugé
et le PC/ASA ignifugé.
Ils contiennent du RDP,
qui à son tour contient du TPP,
qui fait l’objet d’une enquête
pour perturbation endocrinienne.
C’est…
Désolé.
Cela provient également
du site web de ECHA.
- Mais tout n’est pas si désespéré.
Voici Notoxicom.
Un ignifuge sans halogène supérieur
avec des produits
chimiques non migratoires
qui ne s’accumulent pas
et un profil de toxicité plus favorable.
- Notoxicom.
Le premier UL94 V0 au monde
à 0,8 millimètre.
Il est sans halogène
et utilise la technologie du
polyphosphonate co-carbonate.
Nous allons maintenant comparer et opposer
les différents types d’ignifuges,
en commençant par les RF halogénés.
« Agents ignifuges bromés. »
Ils ne migrent pas du plastique hôte
car les halogènes sont
intégrés à la matrice polymère.
Mais quand ils sont brûlés,
ils sont susceptibles d’être
toxiques pour la santé humaine.
Comme James l’a expliqué précédemment,
les PB ont déjà été interdits en 2004,
et nous nous attendons à
ce que le TB BPA suive,
car ils sont toxiques, bio-accumulables
et migrent à partir du plastique hôte.
Nous passons ensuite aux « phosphates. »
Ils contiennent des
molécules plus petites.
Bien qu’ils sont sans halogène
et semblent être un matériau plus sûr,
ils peuvent migrer à
partir du plastique hôte
et il y a de nombreuses
préoccupations environnementales,
comme nous l’avons évoqué précédemment.
Nous passons ensuite aux
mélanges de « polyphosphonates. »
Ils sont sans halogène.
Ils ne migrent pas, ne
se bio-accumulent pas
et ont un profil de
toxicité plus favorable.
Nous allons maintenant
aborder le profil de toxicité
de manière un peu plus détaillée.
- Notoxicom a passé avec succès
les tests stricts de l’aviation
concernant la toxicité des fumées,
et se situe bien en dessous
des exigences minimales
requises pour passer le test.
- Comme vous pouvez le constater,
Notoxicom est un matériau très complet.
Il présente non seulement
un agent ignifuge supérieur,
mais aussi une densité plus faible,
ce qui signifie qu’il est plus écologique,
qu’il faut utiliser moins de matériau
et qu’il n’y a pas de baisse
de performance en termes de
chaleur ou de résistance.
- Voici une citation
de l’un de nos clients.
Voici un exemple d’une application
pour laquelle Notoxicom
est utilisé en ce moment.
Il s’agit d’une application
de batterie lithium-ion.
La citation en haut est
celle de Martin Zivold,
qui est très heureux
des références écologiques du matériau,
et qui apprécie également
les avantages écologiques
du passage à Notoxicom.
- Notoxicom.
Voici la fiche technique
de l’un de nos anneaux
de moulage par injection.
N’hésitez pas à scanner le code QR
si vous souhaitez consulter
la fiche technique
de manière un peu plus détaillée.
Mais comme on l’a déjà mentionné,
il présente une ignifugation supérieure
avec un indice V0 de 0,8 millimètre.
Il présente d’excellentes
performances en matière d’impact,
un débit élevé
et une excellente inflammabilité
du fil incandescent
à 960 degrés.
- Notoxicom a été testé dans
des conditions de laboratoire
pour voir comment il se compare
à la technologie ABS FR standard
dans le suivi du fil incandescent
et de l’indice comparatif.
Les données montrent que le B6000,
donc le Notoxicom B6000,
conserve ses performances
par rapport au matériau PC/ABS FR typique.
Sur les images fournies,
vous pouvez voir les
clichés avant et après
le processus de test,
Notoxicom B6000 étant celui de droite.
- Nous allons examiner de plus près
la robustesse de Notoxicom
en matière de recyclage.
Il s’agit des résultats d’impact
après un passage de recyclage,
comparés à d’autres
technologies PC/ABS FR.
Comme vous pouvez le voir sur les données,
le B6000 maintient toujours
une résistance à l’impact plus élevée
après un passage de
recyclage en comparaison.
Il est toujours plus élevée.
- Notoxicom conserve
également son classement V0
après un passage au recyclage.
Comme vous pouvez le voir,
vous avez les autres matériaux
auxquels il a été comparé
pendant les tests.
- Commençons la conversation ensemble.
Avec ces futurs changements
dans la législation en attente,
êtes-vous prêt pour un avenir plus vert ?
Il existe de réelles
solutions alternatives
et on est prêt à soutenir
vos développements futurs
pour un avenir plus vert.
- Merci de votre écoute.
- Nous avons le temps
pour quelques questions. - Merci pour votre présentation.
J’ai une question.
C’est au sujet de la
performance de votre matériel.
Par exemple, faire les tests
UL94 à 0,4 millimètres.
Aussi, pouvez-vous commenter
la corrosivité du composé ?
- On n’a pas encore effectué de tests
jusqu’à 0,4 millimètre.
Le plus bas qu’on ait atteint est 0,75,
mais on n’a mis que 0,8.
En termes de…
voulez-vous que je…
- Oui.
Pourriez-vous développer
ce dernier point pour moi ?
Juste cela, désolé.
- Est-ce qu’il y a un
effet dans la corrosivité.
par exemple, du dispositif d’extrusion,
ou est-ce similaire dans
la formulation normale ?
- Oui, notre formulation est très robuste,
et si quelque chose devait changer,
elle s’améliore avec le temps.
Vous pouvez l’utiliser encore et encore.
De par la nature de la formule polymère,
elle est capable de résister
à des traitements répétés.
L’aspect de ne pas avoir de
substances lixiviables aussi.
Il ne se dégrade pas
comme les matériaux
courants à base d’halogène.
J’espère que cela répond à votre question.
Si vous souhaitez en savoir plus,
on peut vous mettre en relation
avec notre responsable technique,
et nous pourrons en parler un peu plus.
- Bonjour.
- Merci.
- J’ai une question sur
le mécanisme d’action
du produit.
Pouvez-vous nous donner quelques détails ?
Comment fonctionne-t-il exactement ?
- On utilise un mélange de polymères,
il n’y a pas d’additif en tant que tel.
On a mélangé divers polymères,
mais on ne peut pas
entrer dans les détails
de ce qu’on a fait.
- Oui.
Il serait intéressant d’expliquer
comment cela fonctionne exactement.
Le type de chimie
et le mécanisme impliqués
dans les agents ignifuges.
- Oui, je m’excuse,
c’est un peu hors de notre champ d’action,
mais on pourrait vous adresser
à notre responsable technique,
et vous donner une réponse
détaillée pendant la pause,
si cela vous convient ?
- OK.
- OK.
- Merci.
- Merci.
- Une autre question ?
- Merci pour la présentation.
Vos additifs sont-ils efficaces
dans d’autres matrices ?
- Pour l’instant, on ne l’a testé
que dans le PC/ABS et le PC/ASA.
- On a également un
mélange de polycarbonate,
qui est également celui qui est soumis
à des tests stricts dans
l’aviation en ce moment.
Nous travaillons
sur les différentes
catégories de matériaux
pour en déterminer l’efficacité.
- Une dernière question ?
- Pouvez-vous nous dire quelle
est la source de ces poly…
Je ne sais pas ce que c’est, mais…
Pouvez-vous commenter la chimie,
peut-être pas la chimie,
je dirais la source de
ces polyphosphonates ?
- Je peux.
- Quand pourrez-vous confirmer ?
- On peut en dire plus sur le partenariat.
- Oui.
- On ne peut divulguer
la formulation utilisée.
C’est une question de
propriété intellectuelle,
mais on peut divulguer le partenaire.
- Oui, FRX Polymers est
un de nos partenaires,
avec qui on a travaillé.
Je m’excuse, on n’est pas des chimistes,
on ne peut donc pas vous en
dire plus sur l’aspect chimique.
Mais oui, FRX est un de nos partenaires.
- Merci.
Merci beaucoup.
- Le dernier intervenant de cette session
sera…
Oui, voyons voir, Ibanez Brugues,
de Barcelone.
- [Membre de l’auditoire] Je l’ai manqué.
- M. Ibanez Brugues a deux masters.
Un en techniques de dessin,
et l’autre en matériaux.
Il vit toujours à Barcelone, à .
Dans la ville de Barcelone.
- Oui.
- Il travaille à…
- [Membre de l’auditoire] Merci.
- Accident,
comme responsable technique,
responsable marketing pour Intelligence.
Background
As the world around us is changing, so are our polymer needs, more eco-friendly conscientious and safer choices are being made by consumers daily around the globe.
With the addition of the standard flame retardants in Engineering Styrenics and their blends such as TBBA and RDP/BPA-DP to the European Chemical agency (ECHA) CORAP (Community rolling action plan) list, Polymer Compounders Ltd (PCL) knew something needed to happen about the types of additives used in all significant flame retardant applications.
Understanding the significance of the upcoming ECHA review and the consequence of a shift in the industry, it made sense for PCL to pursue the development of their new patented polymer and help facilitate a positive change to safer flame retardant materials for the reasons outlined by the ECHA.
PCL, with a combined knowledge and experience of over 50 years of polymer science, accomplished the development of not one, but two non-halogenated flame retardant materials. The materials are: Notoxicom® B6000 – an FR PC/ABS Blend and Notoxicom® S6000 – an FR PC/ASA blend.
Both Notoxicom® B6000 and Notoxicom® S6000 materials are not only safer and better overall for the environment but are also much better at carrying out the job required of any halogenated and aryl phosphate ester based flame-retardant polymer. Lastly and most importantly, they are compliant with the ECHA.
Standard Flame Retardant Technology’s
TPP
TPP Is a high priority Substance for Risk evaluation in the USA.
Many companies have joined the EPA activity. Timing is unclear, normally would say 3 years but could be sooner.
BDP, RDP, ADPs, CDP and TBTPP all contain TPP
In Europe it is under evaluation for Edocrine Disruption. Is in CoRAP.
Has long been: very toxic to aquatic / toxic to aquatic with long last effects
TBBA
Largest brominated FR. Biggest use is as reactive in making FR-4 PCB laminates.
A few very large customers. Good analytical data to say no free TBBA in most boards – some boards have intentional free TBBA, but not significant.
Two other major uses, of similar size, are: 1) as additive FR in ABS and 2) as reactive component of other FRs (BEO/BEP, FR-720, others).
Also used in epoxy coatings and potting compounds, UPE, and additive textile back-coatings.
Chemsec – The International Chemical Secretariat
Notoxicom® B6000 and S6000 are listed on Chemsec.org as safer alternatives for TPP based FR PC ABS materials; the Notoxicom® Chemsec listing can be found here: https://marketplace.chemsec.org/Alternative/Notoxicom-Flame-Retardants-B6000-and-S6000-1068
How were these objectives achieved, and what are the key innovations?
The first key innovation centred around the fact that traditionally when you add an additive or flame retardant package to a material, you ultimately sacrifice performance in another area such as heat performance or strength.
This means the polymer could end up with a lower impact strength and/or a lower tolerance to heat. Simply put, traditional flame retardant materials are unable to stand up to the rigours of the moulding process for an extended time. Non halogenated flame retardancy packages are not bound within the matrix of the polymer. Due to this, the additives in turn react or start the migration process in the injection moulding barrel if the residence time is too long. Another weakness of traditional flame-retardant packages is that the final moulded component will have lower stiffness at elevated temperatures because the flame-retardant package has a plasticizing effect on the host polymer. In addition, standard FR/ABS materials that also contain halogens utilise additional toxic chemicals such as ‘Antimony Trioxide’ as a co synergist to generate the compound which in turn extinguishes the flame.
Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS) and Notoxicom® S6000 (FR PC/ASA) on the other hand maintain their properties in all areas, which enable them to be utilized in many applications. They achieve this by not separating the flame retardancy from the polymer at the molecular level, essentially acting as one, with nothing leaching out.
What is unique about this technology development, and what are its implications?
PCL’s technological development has ultimately proved that the use of halogens or liquid phase materials are not necessary when creating a superior flame retardant polymer. It has also shown that products such as Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS) and Notoxicom® S6000 (FR PC/ASA) surpass all the required technical aspects of a flame retardant in a much safer way.
PCL has been working closely for many months during the formula development stage of the products, with an industry-leading test house working to ISO 9001: 2015 accreditation for all results.
In Summary, what were the key objectives of this material development?
Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS) and Notoxicom® S6000’s (FR PC/ASA) properties’ can be broken down and summarised into the following:
- To be a material with a Halogen Free classification, which also has a favourable toxicity profile when compared with all other halogenated flame-retardant materials and liquid non-halogenated flame-retardant materials.
- A material that does not migrate from host plastic.
- A material that does not ‘bioaccumulate’.
- A better melt processable material.
- Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS) and Notoxicom® S6000 (FR PC/ASA) also maintain their physical properties and attributes in all areas compared with halogenated and liquid non-halogenated flame-retardant materials.
- Patented and manufactured in the UK at PCL’s Durham manufacturing site with short lead times.
Vertical Burning Test (4K) – Notoxicom®
Notoxicom® Vertical Burn Demonstration (Click for more information)
Notoxicom® comparative vertical burn demonstration; samples used in the video: ABS, Notoxicom® – Black 9126 and an FR/ABS.
Notoxicom® – V0 Self-Extinguishing Polymers.
–Superior halogen-free flame retardancy.
–ECHA compliant, environmentally friendly materials.
–Non-migratory chemicals that do not bioaccumulate.
–More favourable toxicity profile.
–An outstanding balance of thermal & mechanical properties, with light-weighting gains.
Chapters:
00:00 First Pass ( Interval #1)
00:25 Second Pass ( Interval #2)
00:37 Visual Results
Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS) – Technical Data |
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High flow and excellent complex tooling processability. |
Good heat performance Vicat (B/50) – 125° |
Excellent Impact performance – 46 kJ/m2. |
Halogen-Free UL94 V0 rating at 0.75mm. |
GWEPT at 960°C |
5% Lower density (Sg of 1.14g/cm3) compared to similar FR PC/ABS materials. |
Click here to view the full ISO 9001:2015 datasheet for Notoxicom® B6000. FR PC ABS |
Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS), is the slightly tougher of the two products, with an impact of 46 kJ/m2 would be an excellent choice for highly specialised automotive applications such as EV battery casings or applications that require toughness, with exceptional flame retardancy.
Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) & Glow Wire Testing (GWIT)
Notoxicom® B6000 was tested under lab conditions to see how it compares to our PC-ABSCOM B1000 in GWIT and CTI. The data below shows that Notoxicom® B6000 matches PC-ABSCOMTM B1000 in GWIT testing, with 825°C at 1.7mm. In addition, you can also see the CTI results of both materials.


Customer Success Story – Super B
Super B, part of the clean energy conglomerate Koolen Industries, announced that its new lithium iron phosphate battery uses the recently launched Notoxicom® grade of FR PC/ABS developed by Polymer Compounders Limited (UK).
The new Super B battery cases have been developed with partners Kedu Polymers Industries BV, Klein Mechaniek BV (Toolmaker/Moulder) and Super B (OEM) utilizing the Moldex flow simulation software. The software was fed with measured data characterizing the excellent processing performance of Notoxicom®, and the design was then optimized for the best characteristics of Notoxicom®, i.e. broad temperature processing range in combination with excellent flow. The resulting lower pressures in the tool allowed the use of only one hot runner, whereas two hot runners were needed with standard FR PC/ABS.
Klein Mechaniek BV (Toolmaker/Moulder)

Mouldex: Notoxicom® B6000 – Moulding Demonstration Video
This new development of our already successful battery range will add to its Green credentials and contribute to the continuing growth in applications such as power sports, marine, industrial and other recreational”.
– (Marten Zilvold, Product Manager, Super B, 2022)

Marc Lebel, CEO of FRX Innovations said, “This development is fully aligned with our strategy of disrupting segments of the flame retardant polymer industry sensitive to the sustainability demands of OEM’s, regulatory bodies and Green NGOs, all the while delivering performance levels not possible with legacy flame retardant products.” These include applications in electric vehicles, medical equipment, and consumer electronics. All FRX’s flame retardants are polymers and contain no halogens.
– (Marc Lebel, CEO, FRX-Innovations, 2022)
Comparative Sustainability and Recycling robustness of leading FR PC/ABS materials
Notoxicom® B6000 has superior property retention after recycling compared with other FR PC/ABS grades. The graph below demonstrates that after repeated processing Notoxicom® B6000 retains all its flame retardant properties. Traditionally materials like FR PC/ABS are unable to be reprocessed for fear of the flame package leaving the material. This is due to the ingredients ‘co-existing’ as opposed to being a ‘unified’ bound polymer matrix like Notoxicom® with its patented formula.


Notoxicom® S6000 (FR PC/ASA) – Technical Data | |
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Excellent UV Stability | |
High flow and excellent complex tooling processability. | |
Good heat performance Vicat (B/50) – 125°C. | |
Excellent Impact performance –15 kJ/m2. | |
Halogen Free UL94 V0 rating at 0.75mm. | |
GWIT at 960°C. | |
5% Lower density (SG of 1.14g/cm3) compared to similar FR PC/ASA materials. | |
Click here to view the full ISO 9001:2015 datasheet for Notoxicom® S6000. | FR PC ASA |
Notoxicom® S6000 (FR PC/ASA), with its great weathering capabilities, is an excellent choice for any outdoor application that also requires class-leading flame retardancy.
PCL’s intention and persistence from the beginning to keep key performance attributes has meant that both halogen and aryl phosphate ester-free flame retardant’s Notoxicom® B6000 (FR PC/ABS) and Notoxicom® S6000 (FR PC/ASA) have a market-leading balance of flow, impact, high-temperature performance and processability. Furthermore, and most importantly, both materials do not contain any toxic halogens or aryl phosphate ester, which enables a safer world for everyone.
Flame Retardants and Key Precursor; Yellow Phosphorus (YP)
Within the world economy, China manufactures and supplies more than 70% of the world’s supply of Yellow Phosphorus or (YP) for short. In recent times due to growing pressure from the different economic nations to move toward a greener solution for a greener, healthier planet. China has decided to shut down a significant capacity of its ‘coal-powered manufacturing plants which make the ‘Yellow Phosphorus precursor. As a result, the world’s supply of this key product has dropped significantly. China accounts for 70% of the world’s production of YP. China took this action to help clean up the environment and has further imposed a 90% reduction in the production of YP at some major producers.
What effect has this had on the polymer market?
This chain of events is being felt across both the manufacturing and polymer industries, pushing the prices of certain materials higher than they have ever been. Additionally, all major FR ABS materials and FR PC ABS materials rely on this precursor almost in their entirety. Manufacturers of these products require large amounts of RDP and BDP from producers. We are not suggesting that Notoxicom® is entirely immune to this issue, but we are pleased to be able to say that our superior flame retardant product range Notoxicom® is readily available; despite all that is going on in these precarious times. Several factors contribute to this, but our key innovation within the product, utilizing new technologies, has made this so.
To give some medical context to what the Notoxicom® family of products is all about, please take a look at the following case studies, which show technical medical data that outlines the dangers of older flame retardant technologies. Notoxicom® is pioneering in that it does not use the older, more dangerous chemistry.

Case Study’s
The industry case study’s outlining the risks associated with the currently available flame retardant chemistry.
The first case-study outlines the following:
Click here to read the rest of Ana Ballestero’s case-studyIn Vitro Human Metabolism of the Flame Retardant Resorcinol Bis(diphenylphosphate) (RDP)
Resorcinol bis(diphenylphosphate) (RDP) is widely used as a flame retardant in electrical/electronic products and constitutes a suitable alternative to decabrominated diphenyl ether. Due to its toxicity and its recently reported ubiquity in electronics and house dust, there are increasing concerns about human exposure to this emerging contaminant…..
Ana Ballesteros-Gómez†, Nele Van den Eede†, and Adrian Covaci – 2015
The second case study outlines the following:
Click here to read the rest of the ‘Toxic Chemicals’ Threaten Humanity case-studyPlummeting sperm counts, shrinking penises: toxic chemicals threaten humanity
“The chemicals to blame for our reproductive crisis are found everywhere and in everything”
The chemicals to blame for this crisis are found in everything from plastic containers and food wrapping, to waterproof clothes and fragrances in cleaning products, to soaps and shampoos, to electronics and carpeting. Some of them, called PFAS, are known as “forever chemicals”, because they don’t breakdown in the environment or the human body. They just accumulate and accumulate – doing more and more damage, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day. Now, it seems, humanity is reaching a breaking point……
Erin Brockovich – 18th March 2021
Notoxicom® in addition to everything mentioned above; the Notoxicom® family of products have an underlying formula that enables them to meet GreenScreen® level 3 requirements. GreenScreen® is one of the most recognized methods of comparative chemical hazard assessments available. Benchmark Scores provide a standardized and straightforward way to compare and communicate about chemical hazards. More information on what GreenScreen® is all about; can be found here:
Click here to find out more about what GreenScreen® is all about.“Fish grow slower when exposed to higher temperatures and a common chemical in plastic, according to new research. It suggests that a combination of plastic pollution and global heating could have a concerning impact on marine populations.
Scientists at the University of Sydney have found that fish exposed to the industrial chemical bisphenol A – commonly known as BPA – require more energy to grow in high-temperature waters.
BPA is a common chemical used in plastics manufacturing and is known to disrupt hormone signalling, with impacts in marine animals on metabolism and growth. In humans, it has also been linked to reproductive and developmental dysfunction. Millions of tonnes of the compound are produced globally each year”.
Donna Lu – 26th January 2022 (www.theguardian.com)

Flame Retardant Technology Evolution
In times gone by, all flame retardancy in the polymer industry was governed by two principal flame retardant packages. The first and one currently under ECHA (European Chemical Agency) scrutiny is a ‘Gas based’ product that encapsulates brominated gas within the polymer matrix. A significant % of all FR/ABS is this ‘chemical’ due to its necessity to be ‘triggered’ during combustion; therefore, this material does not typically have high-impact performance.
The issue and worry amongst the global regulators are that this ‘gas’ escapes and does more harm than good. The second flame package commonly used involves a non-halogenated liquid suspended within the polymer granule. Essentially waiting for combustion to be triggered, the issue here, although not considered as toxic as its gas-based counterpart, is that this substance once again leaves the polymer and enters the human body. This technology works by having a liquid that ‘smothers’ and expands the surface of the plastic, in turn putting out the fire.
Notoxicom® moves away from these technologies by incorporating the flame retardancy element into the fabric of the polymer, meaning that a ‘cocktail of chemicals is not coming out no matter how much strain it may be under. In addition to not being able to leave the ‘fabric’ of the polymer, it is an entirely new chemistry that has a more desirable toxicity profile. Due to Notoxicom® having this feature, it can be recycled as there is no real ‘shelf life to the flame retardancy. Recent external tests of Notoxicom® show that conventional flame retardants lose their potency over repeated processes.
Other Advantages of Notoxicom®
- UL94 V0 rated plastics
- UL94 5VB rated plastics
- No drop in heat or strength performance as with current FR systems
- Lower density
- Lower processing fumes, even with long residence times
- Low smoke toxicity during combustion
- (Meets aircraft standard ABD0031 para 7.4)
- Notoxicom® materials utilise a unique polymeric formula and do not contain any additional halogen-free flame retardant additives. All other FR PC/ABS materials, such as CYCOLOY™ C2950, Bayblend® FR3000 and Bayblend® FR3010, need additives to achieve their flame retardancy rating. The use of halogen-free flame retardant additives also limits the recycling potential of polymers.
- Notoxicom® materials are identified as polymeric flame retardant polymers because they do not contain harmful flame retardant additives. The brilliance of polyphosphonate co-carbonate technology enables this.
- Polyphosphonate co-carbonate technology enables the Notoxicom® family of materials to be described as self extinguishing polymer.
In addition to Notoxicom® B6000 and Notoxicom® S6000, we now also have two new to the Notoxicom® product family. They are as follows:
NOTOXICOM® B6303
This material is an enhanced heat deformation, 1.5 mm V0 rated flame retardant ABS blend. Can be used in both extrusion and injection moulding applications. More information is available here. Notoxicom® B6303 has been formulated to be tailored more around extrusion applications however it can also be able to be used in most injection moulding applications.
NOTOXICOM® A6000
This material is an Injection moulding grade of a non-halogenated PC blend with exceptionally low smoke toxicity and flame retardancy, suitable for transport applications. More information is available here. Notoxicom® A6000 has been formulated to be tailored more around transport applications with its exceptionally low smoke toxicity.
**Please note that both Notoxicom® B6303 and Notoxicom® A6000 are still developing; however, if you are interested in ordering either variation, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We will be more than happy to discuss your requirements. **
If you don’t require flame retardancy in a PC ASA plastic but still want industry-leading performance check out PC-ASACOM S9470. – “A superior high heat modified PC/ASA blend, for exterior applications”. –
(Stephen Blair, 2021, Technical Manager).
To learn more about the Notoxicom® family of products, please the Notoxicom® technical data page: https://polymer-compounders.com/en/product/notoxicom/
For any inquiries, please contact our offices using the form available here: https://polymer-compounders.com/en/contact-us/. Or call us on +44 (191) 378 3737.