Scientific base for the development of halogen-free flame retardant addoitives for engineering plastics and foams

• Flame retardancy needed in many applications in E&E, automotive industry and isolation foams
• European regulations WEEE, RoHS and REACH support this research

   Approach:

  • new phosphorus-containing compounds and polymers as FR additives
  • systematically changed chemical structure to understand the efficiency for FF

   Goals:

  • design of the contributions to gas phase action, condensed phase action and intumescence
  • flame retardancy for biobased plastics
  • flame retardancy for PUR/PIR foams (cooperation with Covestro Deutschland AG)

left:       LOI test of a phosphorus-containing polyester
middle: Residue of a phosphorus-containing polyester after cone calorimetry showing intumescence
right:    PUR/PIR rigid foam with BPPO additive

Contact:

PD Dr. rer. nat. habil. D. Pospiech

Coworkers:

Andreas Korwitz (senior technician)

Project:

"Development of flame retardant PUR/PIR foams"

In collaboration with: 

Dr. R. Albach and Dr. M. Paven, Covestro Deutschland AG, Leverkusen

Dr. B. Schartel and coworkers; BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin

Prof. V. Altstädt and coworkers; University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth

Prof. M. Döring and coworkers; Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, Darmstadt

Dr. I. Kühnert, Dr. A. Leuteritz (VP); IPF

Selected publications:

J. Lenz, D. Pospiech*, M. Paven, R. W. Albach, B. Voit, Influence oft he catalyst content on physical properties and the fire behavior of rigid polyisocyanurate foams, Polym. Degrad. Stab. (2020), 177; doi.org/10.1016/J.POLYMDEGRADSTAB.2020.109168.

J. Lenz, D. Pospiech*, M. Paven, R. W. Albach, B. Schartel, Improving the flame retardancy of polyisocyanurate foams by dibenzo[d,f][1,2,3]dioxaphosphepinee 6-oxide-containing compounds Polymers (2019), 11, 1242. https://doi.org/10.3390/POLYM11081242.

J. Lenz, D. Pospiech, H. Komber, M. Paven, R. Albach, S. Mentizi, G. Langstein, B. Voit, Synthesis of the H-phosphonate dibenzo[d,f][1,3,2]dioxaphosphepine 6-oxide and the phospha-Michael addition to unsaturated compounds, Tetrahedron (2019), DOI: 10.1016/j.tet.2019.01.045.

M. Schwarzer, A. Korwitz,, H. Komber, L. Häußler, B. Dittrich, B. Schartel, D. Pospiech Phosphorus-Containing Polymer Flame Retardants for Aliphatic Polyesters Macromol. Mat. Engin. (2018), 303(2), DOI: 10.1002/mame.201700512.

D. Pospiech, A. Korwitz, H. Komber, D. Jehnichen, L. Häußler, H. Scheibner, M. Liebmann, K. Jähnichen, B. Voit, Biobased aliphatic polyesters with DOPO substituents for enhanced flame retardancy, Macromol. Chem. Phys. (2015), 216, 1447-1461. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/macp.201500121.

H. Satpathi, D. Pospiech*, S. Banerjee, B. Voit, Decomposition and combustion studies of phosphine oxide containing aromatic polyethers” Polym. Degrad. Stab. (2014), 107, 53-63, doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2014.05.00.

T. Köppl, S. Brehme, D. Pospiech, O. Fischer, V. Altstädt, B. Schartel, M. Döring, Influence of polymeric flame retardants based on phosphorus containing polyesters on morphology and material characteristics of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT), J. Appl. Polym. Sci. (2013), 128, 3315-3324, DOI: 10.1002/APP.38520.

S. Brehme, T. Köppl, B. Schartel, O. Fischer, V. Altstsädt, D. Pospiech, M. Döring, „Phosphorus polyester – An alternative to low molecular weight flame retardants in poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) ?“ Macromol. Chem. Phys. (2012) 213, 22, 2386-2397.

D. Pospiech, L. Häußler, A. Korwitz, O. Fischer, S. Starke, D. Jehnichen, T. Köppl, V. Altstädt, The miscibility of poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) with phosphorus polyester flame retardants High Perform. Polym. (2012) 24, 1, 64-73.

O. Fischer, D. Pospiech, A. Korwitz, K. Sahre, L. Häußler, P. Friedel, D. Fischer, C. Harnisch, Y. Bykov, M. Döring, “Synthesis and properties of phosphorus-polyesters with systematically altered phosphorus environment” Polym. Degrad. Stab. (2011), 96, 2198-2208.

S. Brehme, B. Schartel, J. Goebbels, O. Fischer, D. Pospiech, Y. Bykov, M. Döring, „Phosphorus polyester versus aluminium phosphinate in poly(butylene terepthalate) (PBT): Flame retardancy performance and mechanisms,“ Polym. Degrad. Stab. (2011) 96, 875-884.

R. Sablong, R. Duchateau, C.E. Koning, D. Pospiech, A. Korwitz, H. Komber, S. Starke, L. Häußler, D. Jehnichen, M. Auf der Landwehr, „Incorporation of flame retardancy enhancing phosphorus-containing diol into poly(butylene terephthalate) via solid state polymerisation: A comparative study” Polym. Degrad. Stab. (2011), 96, 334-341.

A.I. Balabanovich, D. Pospiech, L. Häußler, C. Harnisch, M. Döring, „Pyrolysis behavior of phosphorus polyesters“ J. Anal. Appl. Pyrolysis (2009), 86, 99-107.

D. Pospiech, D. Jehnichen, H. Komber, A. Korwitz, A. Janke, T. Hoffmann, B. Kretschmar, U. Reuter, M. Döring, S. Seibold, R. Perez-Graterol, J. K. W. Sandler, V. Altstädt, F. Bellucci, G. Camino, “New polymers for tailor-made nanocomposites” J. Nanostruct. Polym. Nanocomp. (JNPN) 4/2, 62-75 (2008).