Flame Retardants: Get the Facts
Flame retardants are an important tool to help reduce fires, fire deaths, and property damage.
Flame retardants have been proven to be effective in preventing fires from starting and slowing their spread once they start.1Source: Knapp, Graham. The Analysis of the Transition from Smoldering to Flaming in Polyurethane Containing Assemblies Representative of Upholstered Furniture. University of Maryland (2019).,2Source: Blais, M.S., Carpenter, K. & Fernandez, K. Comparative Room Burn Study of Furnished Rooms from the United Kingdom, France and the United States. Fire Technol 56, 489–514 (2020).,3Source: Blais, M., Carpenter, K. Combustion Characteristics of Flat Panel Televisions With and Without Fire Retardants in the Casing. Fire Technol 51, 19–40 (2015).
This video is provided with the permission of ICL.
Brominated Flame Retardants in Electronics Can Make a Difference
Brominated flame retardants in electronics can provide an important layer of fire protection by helping to prevent or delay ignition, and if a fire does occur, slowing the combustion process, thereby potentially providing more escape time for residents and increased time for an emergency services response.
Flame Retardant Initiatives Under Way to Advance a Circular Economy
In a circular economy, it is important to keep resources in use for as long as possible and recover them at the end of their service life, and to be reused as raw material for new products. The flame retardant industry is committed to seeking ways to advance the circularity of flame retardant chemistries.
Watch these fire safety videos to learn more about flame retardants.
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Watch People’s Reaction to a Burn Test
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Flame Retardants Protect Our Most Vulnerable Populations
Flame retardants add an integral layer of protection for children, seniors, and their families by reducing the risk of fires or slowing their spread.
Children
Fire statistics show that children are more susceptible to injury or death from fire than the average person. Fires and burns have been found to be the third leading cause of unintentional death among children 14 and under.
Senior Citizens
Fire safety is also a critical issue for senior citizens. The relative risk of individuals age 65 or over dying in a fire was 2.7 times greater than that of the general population.
Low-Income Populations
Low-income populations are prone to fire injury or death due to substandard housing that may lack fire-safety measures such as working smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.