ABSTRACT

There are four main types of «ame retardants: chlorinated «ame retardants (such as chlorinated paraf’n wax), phosphoric «ame retardants (such as phosphoric esters), inorganic «ame retardants (such as Mg(OH)2, Al(OH)2), and brominated «ame retardants (such as PBBs, HBCD, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers [PBDEs]) that are produced on a global scale. The brominated «ame retardants have the highest ef’ciency for retarding «ames, at a lower cost. They are especially suitable for organic polymer products and are widely used in electrical and electronic products (Liu et al. 2005a).