Researchers Created Fireproof Plastic

Plastics are made of semisynthetic polymerization products composed of organic condensation or addition polymers and may contain other substances to improve performance or economics. Their widespread use made them indispensable in almost all industry areas.

Scientists from the University of Massachusetts Amherst were able to produce a new synthetic polymer, that plastic is made from, which overcomes the biggest problem of most plastic varieties currently used: it doesn't burn.

Polyethylene plastic, currently used in many applications and in various environments, like hospitals, hotels, offices, warehouses, nursing homes, laundries and stores, is actually highly flammable, having an energy content close to that of gasoline.

The best part is that the new polymer is fireproof by its nature and so it doesn't require the flame-retardant chemicals that are added to many plastics before they can be used in bus seats, airplanes, textiles and countless household items, traces of which can even be found in common dust in homes and offices.

The team of scientists led by Richard Farris, Bryan Coughlin and Todd Emrick, presented their find to industry representatives and scientists from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Army on May 14.

They were able to synthesize a polymer that has a naturally high char yield (70 percent) and doesn't contain any halogens. The product contains bishydroxydeoxybenzoin or BHDB as a building block, which releases water vapor when it breaks down in a fire, rather than hazardous gases.

So, the new polymer has all the desired qualities of a flame resistant plastic: it is clear, flexible, durable and much cheaper to make than the high-temperature and heat-resistant plastics in current use, which tend to be brittle and dark in color.

"The great thing about BHDB is that it's really a two-birds-with-one-stone approach for a new polymer," says Coughlin. "It is extremely fire-safe, and does not contain halogenated additives, which are known to be environmentally hazardous."