The Burning Question - Identifying Flame Retardants in a Failure Analysis Investigation

Flame retardants, chemicals added to materials to prevent or slow the growth of fire, have been used in consumer products for decades. Recently, the health concerns regarding some of these chemicals have come into question. Identifying which flame retardants are present, if any, can be a challenge due to the low weight percent of the additive in the material. This presentation will discuss the chemical analysis of a variety of materials, including clothing and insulation, to determine what, if any, flame retardants are present.