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Flame Retardants and their contribution to fire safety and the quality of life

Flame Retardants and their contribution to fire safety and the quality of life. European Flame Retardant Association, a Sector group of. European Flame Retardant Association. www.cefic-efra.com Established in 1990 19 active member companies Chairman: Dr. David Buszard

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Flame Retardants and their contribution to fire safety and the quality of life

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  1. Flame Retardantsand their contribution to fire safety and the quality of life

  2. European Flame Retardant Association, a Sector group of

  3. European Flame Retardant Association www.cefic-efra.com Established in 1990 19 active member companies Chairman: Dr. David Buszard Secretary General: Dr. Brigitte Dero

  4. Today‘s presentation • Different Flame Retardant Systems • The Fire Safety Issue • Regulatory Status • Health & Environmental Impact • Industry Science & Research Programs • The future

  5. How FRs work FRs act at one or several key phases of the burning process: • Remove H+ and OH- radicals • Prevent pyrolysis (break down to flammable gas) of material • Produce fire resisting “char” layer on material surface • Emit nitrogen or other non-flammable gas (dilute flame) • Release water: cooling effect and dilution of flame FRs interact (synergy) to emphasise or combine these effects

  6. How FRs work … example ATH • Gas phase: • Water release  • cooling of material surface • dilution of burnable gases Reduction of fire energy Solid phase: - formation of an oxide layer Water + 1050 kJ/kg 3H2O 2Al(OH)3+ Al2O3 Oxide-layer

  7. Variety of Flame Retardantsusage of Flame Retardants, worldwide,% of total tonnage (total 1.2 million tons/year 2001)source SRI Consulting www.sriconsulting.com In many cases, several different types of flame retardants are combined to achieve optimal material performance and product safety (synergy)

  8. Variety of Flame Retardantsusage of Flame Retardants, Europe,% of total tonnage (total 408,000 tons/year) source SRI Consulting http://www.sriconsulting.com

  9. Variety of Flame Retardantsusage of Flame Retardants, worldwide,% of sales value (total 1.97 billion US$) source SRI Consulting http://www.sriconsulting.com

  10. Non Flame Retarded Plastics 70% (1,030,000 MT) Plastics with non halogenated FRs 59% (264,000 MT) Flame Retarded Plastics 30% (450,0000 MT) All E&E plastics Plastics with halogenated FRs 41% (186,000 MT) FR E&E plastics Source: TN SOFRES Consulting for APME The Use of FR Plastics in E&E (electrical and electronic equipment)Consumption in W.Europe - 2000

  11. Major FR Items in E&E EquipmentApplications of BFRs - 2000

  12. Different FR systems Effectiveness • Inhibition of flame (gas phase) • most effective: halogens (Br >> Cl) • often combined with synergists • complex radical reactions with Oxygen • Inhibition of surface burning (charring) • eg. P-containing Systems • Mineral FR Systems • Release of crystal water • Temperature reduction Load needed

  13. What does a Brominated FR mean? • 75 different products, each with specific properties & toxicological behaviour • 6 product families: PBDEs, TBBPA and derivatives, HBCD, brominated styrols, brominated phenols, phtalic anhydrides • various differing forms and modes of application: liquid/powder; additive/reactive; aliphatic/organic/combination; building blocks/polymer-type products

  14. What does a Phosporus FR Mean? • A wide range of products, with different properties, applications & profiles • 3 main product families: aryl and alkyl phosphateshalogenated phosphate estersothers: - ammonium polyphosphates, - phosphonates, - red phosphorus etc • Mainly liquids, some powders • Additive

  15. What does a Mineral FR mean? • A number of different products, in particular various metal hydroxides • Examples: magnesium hydroxide Mg(OH)2 aluminium trihydroxide ATH boron compounds (Borax)antimony compounds Sbtin compounds ... • Powder materials • Mineral based materials • Additive types

  16. Different Polymers and Products Require Different Solutions • There are no ‘universal’ Flame Retardants: a FR for one application may be unsuitable in a different application • A combination of several products is often needed to achieve fire safety whilst maintaining material performance • Chemical and toxological properties vary widely between FRs even of the same family -> specifications, standards, regulations therefore need to address FRs individually and cannot take a “blanket” approach

  17. Today‘s presentation • Different Flame Retardant Systems • The Fire Safety Issue • FR‘s Regulatory Status • FR‘s Health & Environmental Impact • Industry Science & Research Programs • The Future

  18. When are FRs used? • Laws and regulations define minimum levels of fire safety • Technical standards for products define which fire test has to be applied and what the criteria are • Fire test standards define the method of testing for reaction to fire and the measured parameters (e.g. time to ignition, heat release, ...) • Flame retardants can improve the fire safety of products, as proven by the product passing the relevant fire test

  19. temperature start of fire :one item is ignited,fire develops in that item,fire spreads to nearby items 0 time start of fire flash over Phases in the Course of aFire Flash over can occur if the combined heat and release of flammable gases leads to a “fireball” causing general conflagration of the room … often after only a few minutes!Flash over depends on the amount of “fuel” available to the fire (consumer goods) and their readiness to burn Escape unlikely, fire spreads through building fully developed fire :all flammable items in the room are ignited Fire extinction and espace possible

  20. temperature 0 time start of fire flash over FRs save lives, injuries, reduce the costs and impacts of fire FRs increase the threshold required to ignite a product: … prevent a fire starting in the first placeFRs reduce the rate of fire spread:… avoid or delay flash overFRs reduce the rate of burning:… reduce fire intensity

  21. The Fire Safety debate • Injuries & deaths from domestic fires are still a frequent occurrence • Every year in Europe: • 80,000 people injured in fires (burns, smoke inhalation), 60,000 of these in their homes • 4 400 people killed in firesWorld Fire Statistics Newsletter n°16 and 17, 2000 - 2001, for 18 countries

  22. * 3% of homes (nearly one in thirty) experience a fire incident annually1 * over 4 000 fire deaths in the USA2 * over 4 400 in Europe 3 * total cost of fires = nearly 1% of GDP4 * 70 large industrial fires alone cost over UK£275 million5 * Property damage alone from fires in the US 2001 cost over US$10 billion6 1 - UK Government: Fires in the home 2000 BCS. 2 - US National Fire Protection Association 3 - 1998, World Fire Statistics Bulletin 4 – Geneva Association for the Study of Insurance Economics http://www.genevaassociation.org/WFSC.htm 5 - P. Battrick, FM Global insurers, 1988-1997. 6 – NFPA http://www.nfpa.org/Home/index.asp excluding September 11th losses Fire Casualties and Damage

  23. Consumer products can cause fires (if an internal fault, or external heat source causes them to catch light), and provide significant fuel loads once a fire starts (in particular plastics, textiles, foams …) Increasing fire-risk from consumer electrical apparatus because of miniaturisation (eg. computers now need several cooling fans) and “stand-by” functions Discussion is currently underway to define how the EUGeneral Product Safety Directive (2001/95/EEC) should be used to ensure that consumer products and furniture supplied across Europe is fire safe Fire risks of consumer products

  24. since 1988: strict regulations on the flammability of upholstered furniture and bed mattresses flame retardants have to be applied to meet the regulations fire statistics show: 1 860 lives estimated saved between 1988 and 1997 5 800 less people injured FRs save lives: Furniture in UK Statistics: UK Department of Trade and Industry: Effectiveness of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire Safety) Regulations 1988. London, June 2000, URN 00/783 Photo: SP Sweden www.sp.se

  25. Fire risks of consumer products: mattresses and furniture • In the USA, bedding is the first item ignited in over 30,000 fires a year, killing over 600 people and injuring over 3.500 • Canada adopted in 2001 strict fire safety standards for mattresses (applicable 2004), requiring resistance to an open flame • The US CPSC published a draft US standard to tighten furniture fire safety for consultation in 2001 • In June 2002: US furniture manufacturers accepted need for tighter standards, to be defined • US Consumer Product Safety Commission www.cpsc.gov after 11 minutes flame retarded acc. to UK-standard non flame retarded(EU standard)

  26. Fire risks of consumer products: mattresses and furniture Fire test of non flame retardant furniture Temperature in room Source: EU CBUF Combustion Behaviour of Upholstered Furniture project 1996 http://www.sp.se/fire/Eng/Reaction/cbuf.htm from http://www.bsef.com/

  27. Fire risks of consumer products: mattresses and furniture • Victoria, Australia, fire tests of prison mattresses • 8 different single bed mattresses were subjected to a small flame in mock-up prison cells • 5 mattresses caused untenable conditions (>100°C at 0.5-1m, flashover) in <5 minutes • Only one mattress did not exceed 40°C at 0.7m above the floor (survival in cell possible): this mattress had FR textile and FR foam filling • Fire Safety Considerations of Correctional Facilities, • Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board, January 2001 after 11 minutes flame retarded acc. to UK-standard non flame retarded(EU standard)

  28. Fire-resistant TV, as sold in the US. Could not be ignited by a small flame TV set as sold by most manufacturers at present in Europe (HB fire-rated. After seven minutes, the fire had spread to other items in the standard test room so that escape would no longer be possible. Nearly 2,000 home fires per year are caused by candles in the UK. Photos: State Materials Research and Testing Establishment, Leipzig, Germany, from www.bsef.com Fire risks of TVs

  29. Fire test on a non-flame retarded TV set exposed to a small external flame Time up to 4 minutes after contact with flame Photo: Tukes Safety Technology Helsinki www.tukes.fi Published at: www.firemarshals.org/issues/home/docs/punainen.pdf Fire risks of consumer products : TVs

  30. Case Study - European TV Sets • 1970’s: the TV industry in Europe applied voluntary fire standards of UL 94 V2+ • 1980’s - reverted to UL 94 HB (IEC 65) • 1998: Increased frequency of TV set fires despite claims of safer electrical construction - first noticed in Scandinavia • 2000: SP/IVL Sweden carried out Fire-LCA tests on TV sets demonstrating that the use of FRs actually reduced pollution • 2001: German Fire Brigades concern over TV fires - Berlin Christmas Appeal by fire chief to TV manufacturers • 2001: Consumer safety groups concerned & petitioned MEPs • 2002 onwards: Responsible TV manufacturers begin to adopt UL 94 V-0 cabinets (flame retarded)

  31. European TV manufacturers used to produce fire-safe sets …. The fire on an old (1980’s) TV self-extinguishes, whilst the fire in a non fire safe TV, recently sold in Europe*, keeps burning and growing * However, some responsible manufacturers in Europe are now selling fire safe V0 models UL94=V0 UL94=HB Source: MFPA, EBFRIP video at http://www.bsef.com/

  32. Fire safety is increasingly being used as a marketing argument by European TV manufacturers and retailers: * Philips, October 2002, The Netherlands -> V0 fire-safe models launched * Quelle Germany, January 2003-> Launch of own-brand TV “Firesafe inside and outside” Fire risks of consumer products: TVs

  33. A non flame retarded computer monitor on a desk …lit with a match flame, leads to complete conflagration of a test room in under 15 minutes Time after ignition : 7 ½ minutes 14 ¼ minutes Source: SP Sweden www.sp.se published at: http://www.firemarshals.org/issues/home/research_contribution.html

  34. Photos: TUKES Safety Technology Helsinki www.tukes.fi Published at: http://www.firemarshals.org/issues/home/docs/punainen.pdf Fire risks of consumer products: electrical Fire test on a dishwasher, after 9 1/2 minutes Fire test on fridge freezer, after 11 minutes

  35. Clothing on sale in Europe is often highly flammable Tests commissioned by the Consumer Council at the Austrian Standards Institute show that a dress canburst into flames in seconds1 sleepwear in particular represents a fire hazard: 3 - 4,000 persons/year are treated for burn injuries related to nightwear2 the EU Commission has mandated CEN to define a European Standard for sleepwear fire safety 1 = photo: www.verbraucherrat.atgo to projects – flammability of nightwear 2 = Consumer Reports Online www.consumerreports.org (go to Press Room, then search) Fire risks of consumer products:clothing

  36. Fire test on non flame retarded clothing, 2003, approx one minute after ignition by a small flame Photos: EFRA 2003 Fire risks of consumer products:clothing

  37. US fire fighters, burn associations, children’s hospitals are campaigning for tighter fire safety regulations for clothing Shriners Hospitals for Children say 3,000 child burn injuries since standards for “children’s nightwear” relaxed in 1996 1 The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is also currently reviewing the US Standard for Clothing Textile Flammability US fire-fighters (NASFM 2 ) point out that the current standard would let a sheet of newspaper pass, and request an urgent tightening of standards 1 = Children’s sleepwear coalition: http://www.tf.org/tf/injuries/sleep3.html: 2 = US National Ass.of State Fire Marshalls petition: http://www.firemarshals.org/issues/home/home_pdf/clothing_pdf/nasfm_anpr_response_final.pdf Fire risks of consumer products: clothing

  38. According to the German Insurance Association GDV: 40,000 car fires per year in Germany 7-9,000 car fires/year in Switzerland 3,000 in Austria German automobile club ADAC, May 2002, calls for car manufacturers to improve car fire safety and use fire-resistant materials both in the car interior and in bodywork Fire risks of consumer products:cars

  39. 2002: 640.000 Japanese-manufactured laser printers (of which 100,000 sold in the USA[1]) recalled following reports overheating and catching fire 2002: 1.4 million electric humidifiers[2] recalled following cases of overheating and the apparatus catching fire. 2002: 28,000 TV sets recalled by a German manufacturer because of fire risk Previously: 350,000 laptop computer batteries recalled in several different cases involving major US PC manufacturers, because of possible fire risk 900,000 AC adapters for laptop computers from different manufacturers recalled for reasons of fire risk … [1]USA printer recall notification: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml03/03023.html [2]USA electric humidifier recall notification http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml02/02096.html Product recalls because of fire risks

  40. Modern computers, cables, screens/monitors, printers, copiers …. All contain significant volumes of plastics and pose fire risks if these are not fire-safe: Possible cause of fire by ignition by internal over-heating, electrical fault Rapid acceleration of fire if ignited by external heat source (cigarette, light, flame …) Significant fuel load in the case of fire Two different brands of inkjet printers: Ignition with small flame Toner and paper removed Models were HB-class (limited flame retardancy) Photos are five minutes after ignition Fire risks of office equipment Source: SP Sweden www.sp.sepublished at: http://www.firemarshals.org/issues/home/research_contribution.html

  41. Association of British Insurers, November 2000, Technical Briefing: “highly combustible cables being installed in voids … high volume of several generations of cable types and .. fire load … serious risk of fire and smoke spread to other parts of the building” Fire risks of cables Crédit Lyonnais fire, Paris – fire spread related to combustible materialsin voids Burning cables in test situation Photos: http://www.datacable.org/issues/fire.pdf Association of British Insurerswww.abi.org.uk

  42. Summary of fire safety issues • Swedish Fire Testing Institute (SP): “as many as 160 people may die in Europe each year as a direct result of TV fires while there is no documented death due to the use of flame retardants.”M. Simonson, P. Blomqvist, A. Bolzidar, K. Möller, L. Rosell, C. Tullin, H. Stripple, J.O. Sundqvist, Fire-LCA Model: TV Case Study; Interscience, ISBN 91-7848-811-7 (2000) • National Research Council (USA): “overestimating risks from flame retardants might result in a net adverse effect on public health”; Deca-BDE and HBCD “can be used on residential furniture with minimal risk, even under worst-case conditions.” National Research Council, Toxicological Risks of Selected Flame-Retardant Chemicals, National Academy Press, ISBN 0-309-07047-3, 2000

  43. Summary of fire safety issues • EU Commission: In the last 10 years a 20% reduction in fire deaths is a result of appropriate use of flame retardants.Flame Retardants. DG Environment Video, 2000, cited by AEA Technology, January 2001 • U.K. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): “furniture complying with the [Furniture and Furnishings] Regulations will not catch fire as non-compliant furniture.” “The actual number of lives saved could be as high as 1,860 in the period from 1988 to 1997”Government Consumer Safety Research, Department of Trade and Industry, Effectiveness of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988, June 2000.“the benefits of using many flame retardants outweigh possible risks to the environment and human health.” DTI (U.K. Department of Trade and Industry) press notice Report on Flame Retardants in consumer products adds to wider debate, 8 February 1999

  44. Varied applications of FRs • Flame retardants have made possible the reconstruction of Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, to modern fire safety standards • the original building burnt down when a canon in a performance set fire to the thatched roof • fire safing of 900 m2 thatched roof, wooden timber structure, flooring … • first timber frame building to be authorised in London since the C17 Great Fire www.shakespeares-globe.org

  45. Today‘s presentation • Different Flame Retardant Systems • The Fire Safety Issue • Regulatory Status • Health & Environmental Impact • Industry Science & Research Programs • The Future

  46. Concerns voiced in Europe on environmental impact, fate and toxicology of certain flame retardants Many studies in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, the UK, Switzerland, USA … Balance of risks against fire safety benefits Concerns about FRs

  47. Positions of Consumer Safety Organisations • consumer products have to be meet high fire safety standards  FR’s are perceived as a necessary element of product safety

  48. Positions of Consumer Safety Organisations BAGSO – German senior citizens association April 2001 www.bagso.de  publicise danger of non fire safe TVs Source: BAGSO News, 4/2001 http://www.bagso.de/01_04_05.html

  49. Effects of Combustion Products and Smoke • acutely toxic: • narcotic: CO, HCN - deadly within minutes; CO2, O2-deficiency • dense smoke makes orientation impossible • compounds with potential long term effects: • polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PCAs) • some dioxins + furans, PCDD/F • mostly adsorbed to soot

  50. Effects of Combustion Products and Smoke • The US National Bureau of Standards tested a range of flame retardant (FR) containing and non FR containing products (TV, PC, upholstered chair, cable, circuit board) to assess the hazard posed: • - average escape time more than 15x longer with FR than with non FR products • total quantities of toxic gases released by FR products one third lower than for non FR • smoke production not significantly different • total carbon monoxide (CO) emissions around half as low for the FR products 1988, Fire-hazard comparison of fire retarded and non fire retarded products” Fire-hazard comparison of fire retarded and non fire retarded productshttp://fire.nist.gov/bfrlpubs/fire88/art003.html

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