The US firm is aiming the product at PU foam manufacturers

The US firm is aiming the product at PU foam manufacturers

US speciality chemicals maker Albemarle has introduced a new flame retardant which is said to provide an improved alternative to pentabromodiphenylether, the FR that will soon be phased out. The new product from Albemarle, Saytex RX 8500, is aimed at polyurethane foam manufacturers.

Luc van Muylem, Albemarle’s global business director for flame retardants, said the product is the result of a research programme spurred by the public concern over pentaBDE. “The result is a product that is reactive and locks the bromine into the foam matrix,” he said. Properties of Saytex RX 8500 are claimed to meet the foam industry’s demands for superior thermal stability, good anti-scorch properties. Target markets include low and high density foams used in furniture, bedding, cars and packaging.

Great Lakes Chemical, the sole US producer of pentaBDE, recently announced plans to phase out production of the chemical and replace it with a new product.