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Title: Incorporation of fire considerations in the life-cycle assessment of polymeric composite materials. A preparatory study

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:697999

The incorporation of flame retardants into polymer based products has come under increased scrutiny in recent years. A study has been made of the possibility of including the function of the flame retardant (in terms of decreasing the number the size of fires associated with the given product) into a holistic model for evaluating the real environmental impact of the flame retardant. A straw model has been proposed with details given of the data requirements of the model and the availability of the required data. More detailed models have been proposed for three case studies suggested for future research. An example of the use of fire statics to ascertain the effect of the inclusion of a flame retardant on the size and number of fires associated with a TV is discussed and a possible method for the inclusion of this effect into an LCA is proposed. the effect of the presence of flame retardants on material recycling and waste destruction is discussed and methods for studying this effect are given. Finally, a strategy for the continuation of this project is presented with a modified technical description included as Appendix 1.

Research Organization:
Statens Provningsanstalt, Div. of Fire Technology, Boras (Sweden)
OSTI ID:
697999
Report Number(s):
PB-99-174237/XAB; SP-RAPP-1998:25; TRN: 92981077
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1999
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English