(EPA) for the company’s Exolit OP 560 nonhalogenated flame retardant. Winners are selected from all new chemicals submitted to the EPA for registration and for which manufacturing or import began in the U.S. during 2008, and looks for products that promote source reduction as well as safety goals.

In recognizing Exolit OP 560, EPA specifically cited its halogen-free “unique chemistry [that] allows maximum flame-retardant efficiency without the release of potentially toxic gases into the atmosphere when combusted or the production of dangerous halogenated byproducts upon degradation or combustion.”

The product, made by the company’s Pigments & Additives Div., is used in polyurethane foams for automotive, furniture, and consumer applications. It is a reactive flame retardant that chemically binds to the polymer instead of just being mixed into it, preventing it from evaporating or migrating out of the polymer. And unlike traditional flame retardants containing halogens such as bromine or chlorine, Exolit OP 560 is halogen-free.

“Traditional halogenated flame retardants release potentially toxic gases into the atmosphere when combusted and can produce halogenated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. The unique chemistry in Exolit OP 560 allows maximum flame-retardant efficiency without the serious drawbacks associated with halogenated materials,” says Mark Self, market segment manager for special applications in Clariant’s Pigments & Additives Div. “We are particularly proud of the innovation behind this achievement because of the human-health and environmental benefits it offers.” —[email protected]