MOSCOW (MRC) -- FRX Polymers Inc. has announced the availability of its Nofia phosphonates for use in the production of low volatile organic compound (VOC) polyurethane foam for automotive interior applications, reported GV.
According to the company, these low-VOC PU flexible foam products can deliver significant improvements in vehicle interior air quality. VOCs are inherently present in newly produced components for automotive interiors. PU foam with small molecule flame retardants (FRs) or other volatile additives can increase VOC level, said FRX Polymers. These volatile components vaporise into the interior, creating odour and fogging.
The growth of the automotive industry in Asia is driving the effort to improve interior air quality. The Chinese government is placing strict regulations on the level of VOCs, according to FRX Polymers. Effective January 2019, the most stringent mandatory Chinese national standard, "Air quality assessment of passenger car" (GB/T 27630-201X), will reduce the maximum VOC limits for eight harmful substances by 10-45 %, and returning to its 2011 version.
Nofia phosphonate polymeric halogen-free FRs are a replacement for the small molecule volatile FR additives in PU flexible foam products for automotive interiors and exteriors, eliminating odours in vehicles while meeting other critical structural requirements. They can be added into the manufacturing process in either powder form or as a liquid polyol solution. Due to its polymeric structure and reactivity with isocyanates, which results in incorporation into the backbone of polyurethane products, Nofia FRs enable these foam products to meet various automotive fire safety standards as well as new total VOC and fogging standards from global car producers and regional in-vehicle air quality regulations, said FRX Polymers. These include the new Chinese mandatory standard GB/T 27630-201X.
"Nofia flame retardants are a unique FR solution for auto interior parts made of polyurethane foams," said Ken Wei, sales manager for FRX Polymers China. "Our team is working with various foam producers in Asia to meet new VOC regulations and our flame retardant products stand out from the competition, becoming the ‘go to’ FR solution for this market."
As MRC wrote earlier, FRX Polymers, Inc., a producer of polymeric halogen-free flame retardants, earned ISO 9001:2015 certification from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), effective from 6 February 2017. ISO 9001:2015 is the international standard that specifies requirements for a company-wide quality management system (QMS).
Nofia products are a family of halogen-free, phosphorus-containing oligomers and polymers that are inherently flame retardant and display unique physical properties. FRX’s products have applications in consumer electronic, building and construction, and transportation markets.
FRX Polymers, Inc. was founded in 2007 following over five years of intensive research and development in the field of inherently flame retardant plastics. The company operates two pilot plants in Chelmsford MA, a polymer pilot plant in Switzerland and a full scale plant in Antwerp Belgium.
MRC