Ultem launches versatile flame retardant fiber
1. Foreword
It is reported that the state of California in the United States has promulgated extremely strict fire protection regulations for mattresses. This will undoubtedly promote progress in fireproof material production research. Ann Marie Lak, global technical manager for fibers and fabrics at GE Plastics, a subsidiary of General Motors, and Youssef Fakhreddine, global market industrial manager, promoted its new Ultem fireproof material in “International Fiber Magazine”.
GE’s Ultem resin material is particularly suitable for meeting the California Technical Bulletin (TB) 603 standard regarding bedding fire protection requirements.
2. General situation
Ultem polyetherimide (PEI) resin is widely used in materials that need to be fireproof and prevent the spread of smoke. It helps manufacturers of mattresses, Simmons and other products to produce products that prevent open flames from accelerating combustion.
The California TB603 standard will be implemented soon, sending a warning to bedding manufacturers, because the latter often use polyurethane foam and polyester batting to make products. California standards set out technical requirements, including the use of high-performance materials and different mattress designs, to address this issue.
Another related issue is that halogen material fire retardants can release toxic fumes. EU regulations on Restriction of Hazardous Goods (RoHS) strictly prohibit the use of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) often contained in fire retardants. It is estimated that California’s standards will be adopted by other regions, such as the national standards recently announced by the Consumer Safety Commission (CPSC), which require manufacturers to ensure that fireproof materials can meet various market regulatory requirements.
GE has never used Ultem resin to produce fiber materials in the past, but its scientific and technical personnel are not afraid of the hardships, and downstream manufacturers have begun to evaluate its potential functions for high-energy fabrics and conduct research
3. Research and development process
GE Ultem resin is an unshaped high-performance polymer that exhibits outstanding high temperature resistance, good strength, large modulus, broad-spectrum chemical resistance, inherent combustion resistance and low smoke-generating properties; vitrification (transformation) ) temperature is 217°C and the relative thermal index (RTI) is 170°C. This polymer can maintain strength and integrity at high temperatures.
Ultem resin has an unshaped structure and high temperature resistance, which makes it difficult to extract fibers. Because it is an amorphous (non-crystalline) material, it has a higher viscosity than a crystal, making it more difficult to pass through the small holes of the spinneret when spinning. The small-hole spinneret is used for spinning woven fabrics and non-woven fabrics. Need for finer fibers. Crystalline materials, such as polyester and polypropylene, not only pass through small holes more smoothly during spinning, but they can also be spun finer by stretching after extrusion. Crystalline polymers are stretched to straighten and align the molecular chains, making the fibers stronger and more stable. On the contrary, stretching amorphous resins, such as Ultem and other materials, produces stress that shrinks when the fibers are heated, so the fibers are stretched. There is trouble. When extruding Ultem resin, the spinneret hole diameter must be extremely small, but this will affect the operation time of the spinneret assembly. (E15)
Ultem resin products have experienced long-term testing in safety facilities and situations requiring strict fire protection standards, such as firefighter helmets, interior decoration materials for airplanes and trains, etc. These are all products that can be used as mattresses and beds. Supplies materials are key factors.
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