This paper examines the factors that influence the formation of smoke in flame retardant systems. The flame retardant used, the resin and choice of the additive package can have a major impact on smoke generation when the material is burned. The selection of the halogenated additive has the most major effect on smoke. The chlorinated flame retardant used, an alicyclic material, is superior to the brominated additives in char promotion during the burning process. That is a larger amount of the polymeric material is converted to non-volatile material and remains in the solid phase rather than being converted to soot-like material commonly described as smoke. In the same polymer system at comparable flame retardance performance, the chlorinated additive always yields more char, and therefor less smoke.
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