Analysis and toxicity testing of combustion gases 2. Characterisation of combustion products from halogen-free flame-retardant duroplastic polymers for electronics

Gaseous combustion products from two new halogen-free flame-retardant polymers for electronic engineering were characterized using analytical and toxicological methods. These duroplastic materials contain oxazolidinone and isocyanurate structures as well as phosphonate elements in the polymeric backbone which are responsible for their flame retardancy. The thermal reactions of the two new polymers were discussed and compared with literature data. Reaction pathways of the nitrogen containing structure elements to N-heterocyclic compounds during combustion were proposed. Some factors regarding the fate of the phosphorus during combustion were discovered. The results of the toxicological test were compared with data from the combustion of polystyrene and beech-wood.