International. The new flame retardant additive called AFA (Anti-Flame-Additive) for wood and wood-based materials created by Bruag Fire Protection AG and Empa can be easily mixed with coatings and cellulose materials, opening up new applications for companies that process wood.
AFA is colorless and can be mixed with water-based paints or UV protective coatings and can be used not only as a coating but also as an additive on wood panels. In addition, it is free of bromine and boron, and does not contain halogenated organic compounds. It does not produce toxic vapors and develops its flame-retardant effect in low concentrations of only ten percent.
It is based on the substance EDA-bis-PTSD developed by Empa, a retardant of the organophosphonate class that combines phosphorus and nitrogen residues in a single molecule, with fire-retardant effects on cellulose.
The additive has already proven its effectiveness in internal testing and application testing is currently underway on various commercially available building materials and paint systems.
Because fire protection requirements are increasing around the world, especially in public buildings and in vehicle construction, useful materials such as wood can no longer be used in many buildings or means of transport and must be replaced. The aim of this research was therefore to develop a product that increases its resistance to fire without harming its positive properties.
For this development, Bruag Fire Protection AG partnered with Empa as a research partner because it did not find a suitable product available on the market to meet the constantly changing demands for fire protection that conformed to existing environmental guidelines.
Source: Bruag.
