FRX Polymers breaks ground on commercial site in Antwerp

The company, which is the first to produce the inherently flame-retardant polymer polyphosphonate (PPh), has also introduced a new brand name, Nofia, for its product line. FRX was the 2008 recipient of the Frost and Sullivan "Innovation of the Year," award for flame retardant materials.

Polyphosphonates are a new thermoplastic family of homopolymers, copolymers, and oligomers with high clarity, inherent flame resistance, and a higher melt flow than polycarbonate (PC), and are polymerized from the diphenyl-methyl-phosphonate (DPP) monomer. PPh offers the highest limiting oxygen index (LOI) for all thermoplastic, processable polymers.

Polyphosphonates can be employed as a polymeric FR additive, FR engineering plastics, and as reactive FR additives for thermosetting resins. Since PPh is polymeric, it will not migrate out of the host plastic during compounding or usage, and has a minimal impact on host plastic properties.

Earlier in the month, FRX announced an exclusive, multiyear distribution agreement with Americhem covering Western Europe and Turkey. In a statement, Dave Bouton, VP business development at Americhem, said, "FRX Polymers produces a unique flame retardant additive in that it is melt processable and sold in pellet form. This makes it especially well-suited for melt spinning into fiber resins, such as polyesters. We see a big potential for FRX Polymers in this market.”