Empa scientists developed an environmentally friendly way to produce flame retardants without toxic ingredients. Image: iStockphoto
Chemists from Empa have developed and patented an environmentally friendly way to produce flame retardants for foams that can be used in mattresses and upholstery. Unlike previous flame retardants made of chemicals containing chlorine, the new material is non-toxic and effective. Two of Empa's industrial partners are now launching the innovation on the market. EDA-DOPO, the environmentally friendly flame retardant developed at Empa, is going into serial production. The newly developed, particularly economic and ecological synthesis method, which also simplifies the production of other DOPO derivatives, is a crucial part of this success story. The company Metadynea Austria GmbH will manufacture the material and, if there is sufficient demand, the global FoamPartner Group will use it to produce flame-retardant polyurethane (PU) foams for upholstery and mattresses. Since the new method of production of DOPO derivatives was patented in June 2017, Metadynea Austria GmbH has already produced around 1.5 tons of the flame retardant.
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