Albemarle Will Phase Out Decabrom Flame Retardants

Design News reported recently that flame retardant leader Albemarle developed an alternate chemistry to decabromodiphenyl ether-based flame retardants, which has been banned in two states and the European Union because of health concerns.

Today, the other shoe dropped. Albemarle announced it would begin working with customers and the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a phase out of Deca-BDE in the coming years.

“While hundreds of science-based and peer-reviewed studies have shown Deca-BDE to be safe in use and one of the most efficacious flame retardants in the world, Albemarle is committed to delivering safe and effective products with increasingly smaller environmental footprints,” said Brian Carter, global business director of Albemarle’s flame retardant group. “Safe and environmentally sound substitutes for decabrom are available today, and we are working with our customers and the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a phase out of Deca-BDE in the coming years.”

This is important news for design engineers, particularly those working in the electronics industries.