Flame retardants for engineering thermoplastics used in electric and electronic equipment like connectors

Members of PINFA, an association of producers for Phosphorous, Inorganic and Nitrogen Flame Retardants, have put joint efforts into development for engineering thermoplastics such as Polyamide or Polyesters used in connectors and switches. In this paper we will present solutions for halogen free flame retarded engineering thermoplastics compounds with a focus on efficiency of the flame retardant by a preservation of necessary mechanical or electrical performance. It can be shown that often the optimal performance can be achieved by a combination of available halogen free flame retardants. We will present results generated using various flame retardants such as Ammonium Polyphos-phate, Metal Phosphinates, Melamine Polyphosphate and Aluminium Oxide Hydroxide (Boehmite) in this paper. These flame retardants offer a powerful toolbox of possibilities which fulfill the requirements of tailor made solutions for engineering thermoplastics applications.