Description

This paper discusses use of metal hydroxides such as aluminum trihydroxide (ATH) and magnesium hydroxide (MDH) as flame retardant additives for wire and cable compound applications. Effects of particle size and particle surface area of the flame retardant on resulting compound performance are studied. The effect of metal hydroxide loading levels on the performance balance of flame retardancy vs. physical properties is also investigated. Surface modification of the metal hydroxide additives is also studied and found to help enhance compound performance markedly