Muttenz, Switzerland – Clariant said that a recent study by Heather Stapleton at Duke University’s Nicholas School for the Environment in North Carolina concluded that its Exolit OP 560 is not released from the polyurethane foam after the reaction is complete.
The work shows that the additive is undetectable in the finished product.
The formulation tested at Duke included the flame retardant and natural oil polyols (NOPs) from Natural Foams Technology (formerly Green Urethanes.
Clariant and Natural Foams said that the work reinforces earlier work by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA said in an Alternatives Assessment report on flame retardants in flexible foam released in June 2014, that Clariant’s Exolit 560 oligomeric phosphonate polyol (OPP) flame retardant is a safer alternative to pentabromo diphenylether (pentaBDE), traditionally used for giving fire protection to foam.
The report is part of the EPA’s Design for the Environment program, which helps industries choose safer chemicals, and offers a basis for future decision-making by providing a detailed comparison of the potential public health and environmental impacts of chemical alternatives.
Results from these and other independent tests show good flame retardant performance as well as substantial smoke reduction from these foams, said Clariant.
Natural Foams Technology said flexible foam makers can use Exolit OP 560 with its natural oil polyol (NOP) foams to develop low-emission flexible foams that meet flammability standards such as TB117-1975, California’s open flame flammability test for upholstered furniture, and the updated Cal TB 117-2013, which comes into force in January 2015.
An additional bonus is that foams formulated with NOP have a high bio-renewable content, the foams have become the first to be accepted into the USDA’s BioPreferred program, a U.S. federal program to encourage industry to switch to more sustainable materials.
NCFI Polyurethanes, a North Carolina-based manufacturer, has been using the NOP technology in their BioLuxMax line for several years. After running trials with Exolit OP 560, the firm plans to introduce a commercial product in the 4th quarter 2014.
"This is a natural evolution for our BioLuxMax initiative," says Chris Bradley, VP of consumer products, NCFI. "This project has always been about maximizing the benefits we can offer our customers. We feel a foam with 33% certified bio-renewable content that passes the open flame standard of CA-117-1975 and can be labelled under the new California law as flame retardant free, is a huge step in that direction."
