Flame retardants and smoke suppressants are a hot topic in today’s composites industry. One company addressing that at COMPOSITES 2011 is Huber Engineered Materials.
Flame retardants and smoke suppressants are a hot topic in today’s composites industry, as more end users demand those products for roofing jobs, wire and cable projects, carpet backing, silicone rubber applications and more.
The COMPOSITES 2011 show floor will include exhibitors that can literally speak to that need. One of those firms is Huber Engineered Materials, a division of J.M. Huber Corporation that has offered a variety of non-halogen flame retardants and smoke suppressants for more than 30 years.
Don Mills, sales director for Huber’s flame retardants and smoke suppressants business, says the company’s booth personnel look forward to meeting COMPOSITES 2011 attendees that have technical or general questions about the product line. “We understand the value of consultative selling, and we want to ensure that attendees receive customized answers to specific questions.” Mills says. “We look forward to showing that our technical and service support is second to none in the industry.”
Three letters Mills and other Huber representatives will use frequently are ATH, which stands for alumina trihydrate. ATH is the world’s most widely used flame retardant, and Huber is one of its largest suppliers. At approximately 428 F (220 C), the three water molecules in ATH are released in a reaction. The released water molecules quench the surface of the surrounding materials, providing flame retardance and smoke suppression. ATH doesn’t emit toxic smoke when burned—an advantage over halogenated compounds.
Mills says Huber also will explain the advantages and properties of other flame retardants and smoke suppressants such as magnesium hydroxide (MDH), which dehydrates at 626 F (330C), and molybdate-based products.
In 2010, Huber advanced its flame retardant and smoke suppressant line by acquiring the Kemgard business of Sherwin-Williams. Kemgard products chemically influence the formation of organic char, insulating the polymer from the heat and oxygen source and thereby lowering heat and smoke release.
Keith Sorrell, Huber’s manager of marketing communications, says the company will also showcase its calcium carbonate product line and other solutions at COMPOSITES 2011. “Huber develops engineered specialty ingredients that enhance the performance, appeal and processing of a broad range of products used in industrial, paper and consumer-based applications,” he says