Applications of BFRs

Fire safety elements

Flame retardants are used to reduce fire risks in all sorts of materials susceptible to burn (plastics, wood, textiles, paper, natural fiber building). The type of flame retardant used depends on the material, but also on the degree of fire safety required, in the following application areas:

	Electric and Electronic housings Electrical and electronic equipment housings: TVs, computers, household appliances, industrial electrical installations, mains adapters and portable electronics.

Printed circuit boards Brominated flame retardants contribute to the fire safety of all systems requiring Flame Retardant 4 (FR-4), a type of material used for making printed circuit boards. It is therefore used in a wide range of electrical and electronic equipment and installations, such as TV sets, PC, washing machines and office and copiers, computers, printers, fax machines, radios.  It is also used in high tech devices, such as, wind turbines and defence systems.

	Upholstered furniture In upholstered furniture, the covering textile, the polymer (PUF) or natural foam cushions, and the moulded or rigid structure can all be fire safety treated, when required by regulations or to improve consumer safety.

	Wires and cables Electrical and optical cables are particularly susceptible to fire risks (mainly in case of electrical faults) and can represent a significant fire load and can carry fires from one place to another.

	Transportation (airplanes, ships, trains, cars) Transportation vehicles face specific fire safety issues because of the risks of accidents and the need to ensure occupants have sufficient time to escape, but seats, cables and plastic structures will burn violently and rapidly if not flame retarded.

	Construction Fire safing of insulation and decorative foams and other building materials, in particular to ensure conformity to building safety regulations.

	Wood Both to prolong the resistance of timber structural building elements to fire, and to fire safe wooden paneling and other easily flammable wood applications, both for pure wood and for composite materials.

	Textiles Both for day-to-day clothing in contexts where fire is a risk (eg. hospital linen… ) and for technical fire-resistant textiles for professional uses (carpet, curtains, wall coverings…).