SF-400 ATO Alternatives vs. Traditional Antimony Systems

The manufacturing industry is seeing swift changes across the globe. Antimony has long been a go-to flame retardant, mostly mixed with halogen elements. Now, with stricter environmental rules, shifting material costs, and growing interest in eco-friendly options, businesses are looking at alternatives.

It's not just about having good fire protection when you change from antimony trioxide. You also need to keep the plastic strong and not use anything too harmful. SF-400 ATO alternatives are a step forward. It's a synergist made to do better than what we've been using. This article will talk about how antimony-free flame retardants have changed and compare SF-400 with the usual antimony options.

SF-400 is a new kind of flame-retardant synergist. Favorchem has made it a replacement for antimony trioxide in plastics like PA (Nylon), PBT, and polyolefins.

SF-400 is a silicon additive that helps plastic create a protective layer during burning. When plastic mixed with SF-400 heats up, it forms a strong carbon-silica layer. This layer blocks oxygen and keeps flammable gases from escaping, which can help slow or stop the fire.

Usually, when people talk about standard antimony flame retardants, they mean antimony trioxide. But in reality, antimony trioxide isn't very good at stopping fires by itself. So, it's mixed with halogenated flame retardants (like chlorine or bromine) in plastics like PVC, ABS, HIPS, and some polyolefins. It works together with those chemicals.

When a plastic catches fire, the antimony mixes with the halogen to create antimony halides. These go into the air and stop the fire from spreading and releasing heat. They do this by getting rid of free radicals, like hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals. This team effort has allowed producers to meet UL 94 V-0 standards for years. This makes antimony trioxide a go-to synergist in many common formulas for cables, electronics, and car interiors.

Although it works well, antimony trioxide has some problems that make it important for companies to find flame retardants that don't use antimony.

Antimony is considered a key raw material. The mining and refining of it are mainly in a few areas. This makes makers open to big price changes and possible export limits. Because of this, it's hard to predict costs in the long run.

Antimony trioxide is listed as possibly causing cancer in humans by the IARC and is being watched more closely by regulators. Being around it for a long time at work has been linked to breathing problems and can harm the liver and kidneys. Because of this, lots of brands have put antimony compounds on their lists of substances they restrict.

When Sb₂O₃ systems burn, they usually make thick, dark smoke and harmful gases. This is unsafe in places like data centers, crowded buildings, and transportation, where the smoke can be as risky as the fire.

When picking an antimony replacement, engineers have to think about how well it works and how much it costs overall. Here's a close look at how SF-400 changes things compared to regular antimony choices.

Typical systems mostly stop fire in one way. They're good at putting out flames, but they don't really help create a strong layer on the surface. This means things can still drip or melt.

SF-400 works in two ways. If there are halogens, it can help stop fire in the air. But it really shines by making a solid layer on the surface. This keeps things from dripping and slows down heat, often good enough to pass the UL 94 V-0 test with less stuff added in total.

Antimony trioxide is heavy. If you add a lot, it makes parts heavier and can make plastic weak, especially in thin areas.

SF-400 isn't as heavy and is made to work well with plastics. It doesn't make things as weak as antimony does. This helps keep the plastic strong and bendable, which is key for things like connectors.

Antimony systems can make a lot of dark, dirty smoke when burning.

SF-400 helps the plastic turn into a solid layer instead of smoke. This usually means less smoke and less bad gas, which is good for meeting LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) rules.

Antimony is white and covers colors easily. To get dark or bright colors, you need to add a lot of color, which costs more.

SF-400 doesn't change the color as much. This means it's easier and cheaper to get the colors you want without using too much color.

Antimony might seem cheap, but SF-400 is lighter and works better. So you don't need as much for each part. This helps make things lighter, like in electric cars, and keeps costs steady even if antimony prices change.

Switching to antimony alternatives is becoming common. It's driven by rules for green buildings, the need for lighter cars, and tougher health rules. SF-400 is a great antimony replacement because it lets companies be safe and eco-friendly. By using SF-400, businesses can create safer, greener, and stronger products while protecting themselves from changing rules.