Zinc borate, a white, crystalline, low-toxicity inorganic compound, is used primarily as a flame retardant, smoke suppressant, and in plastics, cellulose fibers, paper rubbers, and textiles. It can also be used in paints, adhesives, and pigments.
Zinc borate is a flame retardant that can be used to replace antimony trioxide in halogen-based or halogen-free systems.
ZSinc borate can also be used in flame retardant formulations of vinyl chloride latex and as an adhesive for bonding fibreglass insulation with aluminium foil.
It is non-toxic and low-water-soluble. It has good dispersion properties, high heat stability, small particle size, and excellent dispersion characteristics. It is an effective flame retardant and is used extensively in plastics, rubber, paint, and other products.
Description
Zinc borate is a non-halogen flame retardant that has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This product can be used to retard fire in PVC, polyolefin’s and polyamides.
Zinc borate is often used with antimony oxide in halogen-containing systems. It is usually used with magnesium hydroxide, alumina trihydrate, and red phosphorous in halogen-free systems. Zinc borate may be used in some applications alone.
Zinc borate acts as an anti-dripping, char-promoting, and afterglow suppressor. It is used in electrical insulation plastics to reduce arcing and tracking. Zinc borate can be used in combination with zinc phosphate and barium borate to inhibit corrosion. It is a broad-spectrum insecticide that can be used in wood and plastic products. It is also used in certain ceramics as a flux. It improves ceramics’ properties in electrical insulators.
Zinc borate is similar to other polymer systems in that it has a high refractive index. This allows for significant translucence. This allows for lower pigment loading than antimony oxide.
Zinc borate is low in toxicity and has a specific gravity of 2.77.
The most common form of zinc borate used is 3.5 water zinc also known as ZB2335 flame retardant.
Materials and Methods
Great Lake Chemical Corporation/USA provided zinc borate under the chemical formula ZnO*3B O 3*3.5H O. Rudolf GmbH/Germany provided an alkyl phosphonate-based nonionic flame retardant finish agent that is acidic (pH=2-5) under the commercial name Rucoflam PSYE (PSY). Clarinet/Switzerland provided the organic cyclic-phosphonate compound-based finishing agent (17% P), which is highly acidic at pH=1.5-1.8 (pH=1.5-1.8). CHT/Germany provided the cross-linking agent based upon low formaldehyde methylol melamine and was kindly supplied under the commercial name Apyrol MH.
Applications
Zinc borate is used primarily as a flame retardant for plastics and cellulose fibers, paper, and rubbers. It can also be used in adhesives, paints, and pigments. It can be used as a flame retardant to replace antimony trioxide in halogen-free and halogen-based systems. It suppresses afterglow and is anti-dripping. It is used in electrical insulation plastics to suppress arcing and tracking.
Zinc borate is combined with antimony trioxide, alumina trihydrate, and zinc trioxide in halogen-containing systems. It is responsible for the formation of char and protects it with a layer of glass. Zinc is responsible for the formation of zinc ox halides and zinc-halide halides, which catalyze the release of halogens.
Zinc borate can be combined with magnesium hydroxide or red phosphorus in halogen-free systems. A porous borate ceramic, which protects the layers beneath, is created by burning the plastics. At low temperatures, borosilicate glasses can be made if there is silica.
Zinc borate can be used to produce paper, fibre fabric, and decorative panels, as well as wallpaper, carpet, ceramic glaze, and paint to enhance flame retardant performance. It can also be used to increase polyamide, PVC resin and polyphenylene ethylene as well as to polyamide, PVC resin, and polyphenylene ethylene.