UK bioplastics breakthrough wins US plastics industry prize

“2024 is our year – we've scaled up three products, secured investor backing, brought new talent onboard and successfully launched our first commercial application"

15-Oct-2024 - Floreon was announced the winner of The US Plastics Industry Association’s (PLASTICS) Innovation in Bioplastics Award for its breakthrough plant-based, flame retardant, halogen-free polymer - uniquely suited to high performance engineering applications. The accolade signifies Floreon ...

A sustainable bio-industry innovation: product development of bio-based flame retardant additives

ALTANA AG and UB FIGG invest in the Finnish technology company NORDTREAT

24-Jun-2024 - The Finnish sustainability fund UB Forest Industry Green Growth Fund (UB FIGG) and the specialty chemicals group ALTANA are investing in the technology company NORDTREAT. The company specializes in the development and production of innovative, high-performance, and environmentally friendly flame ...

Common household chemicals pose new threat to brain health

Research shows chemicals in countless household items harm specialized cells in the brain

03-Apr-2024 - A team of researchers from theCase Western Reserve University School of Medicinehas provided fresh insight into the dangers some common household chemicals pose to brain health. They suggest that chemicals found in a wide range of items, from furniture to hair products, may be linked to ...

More environmentally friendly flame retardants for e-mobility and electronics

Lower environmental impact - high potential

27-Mar-2024 - Organophosphorus flame retardants are a possible alternative to brominated flame retardants. However, comparative life cycle studies on this type of flame retardant are still lacking. The Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Energy and Safety Technology UMSICHT has now investigated the ...

Material Delays Thermal Runaway Even at 1,500°C for 20 Minutes

LG Chem-LX Hausys, Making a Breakthrough in the Development of a Material that Delays Battery Thermal Runaway

30-Oct-2023 - LG Chem announced that it, together with LX Hausys, has developed a material delaying battery thermal runaway which can withstand a flame at 1,500℃ for over 20 minutes. The material named "Special Flame Retardant Continuous Fiber Thermoplastic (Special Flame Retardant CFT)" can withstand strong ...

Clariant announces further investment in new China flame retardants facility for E-mobility and E&E applications

CHF 40 million investment in second line

21-Oct-2022 - Clariant will create a second production line at its new CHF 60 million state of the art facility for Exolit OP halogen-free flame retardants currently under construction in Daya Bay, China. This additional CHF 40 million investment will further expand access to innovative and sustainable fire ...

Toxins in old toys an obstacle for circular economy

06-Sep-2022 - Letting children play with hand-me-down plastic toys could constitute a health risk. When researchers at the University of Gothenburg tested a large number of old toys and dress-up items made of plastic, 84 per cent of the items were found to contain toxins that can disrupt growth and development ...

BASF and THOR GmbH fight fire together

Leverage combined expertise in flame retardant additives

05-Jul-2022 - BASF and THOR GmbH are combining their expertise in non-halogenated flame retardant additives to provide customers with a comprehensive solution that will enhance the sustainability and performance for specific plastic compounds, as well as meet stringent fire safety requirements. Flame ...

Fireproof and comfortable

A new chemical process developed by Empa turns cotton into a fire-resistant fabric, that nevertheless retains the skin-friendly properties of cotton

20-Sep-2021 - State-of-the-art flame retardant cotton textiles suffer from release of formaldehyde and are uncomfortable to wear. Empa scientists managed to circumvent this problem by creating a physically and chemically independent network of flame retardants inside the fibers. This approach retains the ...

Hundreds of chemicals, many in consumer products, could increase breast cancer risk

List includes potential carcinogens that act by stimulating production of hormones that fuel breast tumors

23-Jul-2021 - Every day, people are exposed to a variety of synthetic chemicals through the products they use or the food they eat. For many of these chemicals, the health effects are unknown. Now a new study shows that several hundred common chemicals, including pesticides, ingredients in consumer products, ...