FRX Innovations develops new polycarbonate free of 'forever chemicals'

FRX innovations has announced that it has filed a new patent for what the company believes and customer feedback supports will be a breakthrough in key application areas specifically meeting or exceeding the rigid fire retardant requirements for polycarbonate (PC) plastics and its alloys. This invention is free of the increasingly banned “forever” PFAS chemicals and the company claims it allows for completely PFAS-free formulations in polycarbonate, including elimination of the well-known anti-drip agent, PTFE.   

The company claims that this is an enormous breakthrough as flame retardant PC and its alloys are used in a wide range of everyday products from consumer electronics to electric vehicles, to home appliances as well as many industrial applications.  Flame retardant PC is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 5.5%, according to Industry Growth Insights, and it forms part of the $1.5B PC sheet market as estimated by Allied Market Research in June 2022. The global flame-retardant market is forecasted to be more than $10B by 2024, according to a Market Watch report published in December 2022.  FRX says is extremely well placed with its existing international customer base and its growing interest from other global players to pursue business both with the large PC resin producers and the many compounders specializing in PC blends and alloys in all major markets.   

Many major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) such as Apple and IKEA have committed that their products be PFAS free. In PC and its blends, that has meant replacing the well-known PFAS chemical KPFBS, otherwise known as Rimar salt, which FRX has already demonstrated a capability to do.   

Furthermore, major OEMs are taking the view that the well-known anti-drip, PTFE, should also be replaced as part of the move away from PFAS chemicals.  Replacing that additive and maintaining the necessary flame-retardant properties has proved elusive, until now.   

The company claims work carried out by FRX’s technical team has now demonstrated that this tough goal is achievable, and importantly, while also maintaining other imperative properties such as impact resistance. The ability to achieve transparent formulations has also been demonstrated.   

The technical leader at FRX, Dr Xiudong Sun, will be describing this important development at the AMI Fire Retardants in Plastics event in Philadelphia, April 26 /27, and will also be discussing with key polycarbonate producers and compounders at the upcoming ChinaPlas exhibition in Shenzhen, April 17-20.