Coatings & Additives

Three names dominate halogen-free flame retardancy in polyolefins: ammonium polyphosphate (APP), dipentaerythritol (DPE) and pentaerythritol phosphate (PEPA, CAS 5301-78-0). They are usually presented as alternatives, but they are not the same kind of additive, and picking between them on price per kilogram is the most common formulation mistake in intumescent work. This guide gives a

Intumescent fire-retardant coatings protect steel, timber and cable trays by converting themselves into an insulating char when heated. The chemistry behind that conversion is a three-source system, and the carbon source is where most coatings fail in service – not because it cannot char, but because it leaches, blooms or hydrolyses before the fire ever

Pentaerythritol phosphate, almost always shortened to PEPA, is the phosphorus ester of pentaerythritol and the workhorse char former of halogen-free intumescent flame-retardant systems. Its commercial importance comes from one structural fact: a single molecule carries both the acid-generating phosphorus group and part of the carbon skeleton that becomes the protective char. That lets a formulator

How to Buy Acryloylmorpholine (ACMO) Acryloylmorpholine (ACMO, CAS 5117-12-4) is a reactive monomer, so buying it well means fixing the purity, colour, viscosity and inhibitor level – and handling a reactive liquid correctly. This page sets out what to confirm before you request a quotation. 1. Fix the specification Parameter Specification Purity (content) 98% min

Acryloylmorpholine in UV-Curable Coatings and Adhesives Acryloylmorpholine (ACMO, CAS 5117-12-4) is a low-viscosity, water-soluble acrylate monomer used mainly as a reactive diluent in UV- and electron-beam-curable coatings, inks and adhesives. This page explains what it does in the formulation. What a reactive diluent does UV inks and coatings must be applied at a workable viscosity,

How to Buy Melamine: Grade, REACH and EU Anti-Dumping Melamine (CAS 108-78-1) is a commodity resin raw material, so buying well is about grade/quality, the REACH position and – for Europe – the anti-dumping duty. This page sets out what to fix before you request a quotation. 1. Fix the grade and quality Parameter Specification

Melamine in Flame Retardants and Intumescent Systems Melamine (CAS 108-78-1) is a building block for halogen-free flame-retardant systems. Its high nitrogen content and its triazine ring make it useful both on its own and as a component of intumescent and nitrogen-phosphorus systems. This page explains the roles melamine plays. Why melamine is used in flame

Melamine in Melamine-Formaldehyde Resins, Laminates and Coatings Melamine (CAS 108-78-1) is the raw material for melamine-formaldehyde (MF) resins, the family of thermoset resins that gives hard, heat-resistant, clear surfaces. This page explains how melamine becomes a resin and where those resins are used. From melamine to resin Step What happens Methylolation Melamine reacts with formaldehyde

What Is Melamine? Melamine, CAS 108-78-1, chemically 1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-triamine, is a white crystalline, nitrogen-rich heterocyclic compound. It is the key raw material for melamine-formaldehyde (MF) resins and a building block for coatings, laminates and flame-retardant systems. Melamine is a small, highly symmetrical molecule: a six-membered triazine ring bearing three amino (-NH2) groups. That structure gives it

Rubber Antioxidants and Accelerators: Selection Guide Nearly every rubber compound contains two families of additives: accelerators (which control the sulfur cure) and antioxidants/antiozonants (which protect the rubber from ageing). This guide is a single reference for the main additives in each family – what they do, how they differ, and how to choose. It links