— By Plasteurope.com staff — 

Speciality chemicals producer Lanxess (Cologne, Germany; www.lanxess.com) announced that it has launched Purventis, a new platform for flame retardants used in insulation materials. The first commercial product, Purventis Core, is intended for rigid polyurethane and polyisocyanurate (PIR) insulation foams.

As regulatory requirements for insulation materials continue to develop worldwide, producers are increasingly seeking flame-retardant technologies that can help them meet evolving compliance demands while maintaining the required product performance, Lanxess said in a statement.

The halogen-free phosphorus flame retardant is based on technology previously marketed as Levagard 2100. According to Lanxess, the low-viscosity product is non-halogenated, non-aromatic, and free of triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and phenol. Unlike conventional additive flame retardants such as tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP) and triethyl phosphate (TEP), Purventis Core chemically bonds into the polyurethane matrix.

Related: Q2 net loss widens at Lanxess despite rise in sales, core profit

Lanxess said tests showed that the product did not contribute to total volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and required lower dosage levels than TCPP and TEP to achieve comparable flame-retardant performance. The company also reported higher foam stiffness compared with formulations using conventional flame retardants.

Target applications include construction panels, roof and wall insulation, and closed-cell spray foams.