Hyperbranched Cyanocarbon Flame Retardant Additives for VARTM Resins

Hyperbranched Cyanocarbon Flame Retardant Additives for VARTM resins address the fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) issues that have limited composite use on-board Navy warships. Eikos LLC will rapidly push the development of Hyperbranched Cyanocarbon FR Additives into a commercial reality with the use of private-sector investment and the Fast Track Phase II program. Derived from commercially available starting materials, these systems offer a new paradigm in low cost flame retardant additive technology, enabling the use standard, accepted VARTM vinyl ester resin chemistry with enhanced FST properties. These additives are soluble in vinyl ester and polyester resins, co-reactive within these systems, are non-halogen, and provide for a high char yield. Furthermore, the spherical nature of this family's hyberbranched structure allows for minimum increase in viscosity upon addition for a given molecular weight of flame retardant. To facilitate the rapid development of these systems, Eikos has assembled a team of world-renowned experts in the allied fields of cyano chemistry, fire tolerance testing, advanced materials, and processing development for the composite marketplace.