A new company has been set up in the US to commercialise a family of polyphosphonate homo and copolymers which offer exceptional non-burning properties.
FRX Polymers, of Massachusetts, is headed by founding ceo Marc Lebel and aims to find initial markets for its product in polymeric flame retardant additives for plastics and as transparent high flow speciality polymers.
The company is setting up joint development agreements with major polymer and flame retardant additive makers which it expects will lead to manufacturing and marketing licences. It recently started up a pilot plant and will use this capacity to seed its widening group of development partners.
FRX polymers are distinguished by excellent flame retardant properties, are transparent and have a very high melt flow rate. In addition, the firm says, they do not migrate out of the plastics in which they are contained.
Lebel said: “FRX Polymers are new to the world of polymers. While much research has been done on polyphosphonates over the last 50 years, FRX Polymers is the first company to commercialise them.
“We have developed a cost effective manufacturing route and through intensive research efforts over the last four years, we have dramatically improved the properties of these polymers. Our polymers will find applications in the $15bn flame retardant plastics market.”
