Non-halogenated phosphorus, inorganic and nitrogen flame re-tardants for electronics: update on market situation, drivers and trends

This paper will give a status update on the technological shift towards non-halogenated flame retardants. What is the current market situation and where are still technology gaps or unmet needs? The key drivers of the market shift will be highlighted and discussed: regulatory activities with relevance for flame retardants like RoHS and REACH as well as voluntary tools like ecolabels. In addition, projects related to the environmental assessment of alternative flame retardants, like the design for environment projects of the US EPA on flame retardants for printed circuit boards and alternatives to decaBDE as well as the European research project ENFIRO which studies the environmental and toxicity profile of flame retardants in a prototypical case study, will be presented. The producers of alternatives have formed an industry association for non-halogenated phosphorus, inorganic and nitrogen flame retardants (pinfa) in order to better inform flame retardant users and the public about technical options and the properties of their products. pinfa has also run a pilot project with GreenScreen, an assessment tool for users of chemicals to determine the environmental and health profile of PIN flame retardants.