No “Universal” Flame Retardants

Manufacturers include specific flame retardants in their products based on the product’s attributes, properties, use, and potential ignition threats. Product manufacturers use flame retardants to protect materials from igniting.

The term “flame retardant” refers to a function, not a distinct family of chemicals. Many different chemistries, with different properties and molecular structures, act as flame retardants.

A variety of flame retardants are necessary because materials and products that need to be made fire-resistant are chemically and physically different and have different uses and performance requirements.

Flame retardants are generally classified by their chemical makeup.

The most common flame retardant classes

• Halogenated (a compound that includes a halogen, e.g., chlorine, bromine, fluorine)
  • Tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA)
• Phosphorous-based
• Nitrogen-based
• Inorganic and mineral compounds