Flame Retardants / Fire Retardants

Flame retardants / fire retardants are chemical compounds added to paints and coatings to inhibit/retard the ignition/burning of the paint. In marine applications where ships are repeatedly painted to prevent corrosion, building up of paint layers increases the risk of catching fire which can damage the vessel. Therefore it becomes necessary to paint the vessel with fire retardant coatings. Flame retardant coatings are also used in architectural applications for painting schools, churches, homes etc. Flame retardants can be broadly classified as inorganic, halogenated, nitrogen based and phosphorous based.