Prometheus Flame Retardant Manufacture

The project is to construct and prove the design of a unique plant needed to make a new and
novel flame retardant. The concept of the plant and manufacturing process to create this
product has been proved at small scale and the objectives of the year will be to build and run 2
reactors capable of producing 4 tonnes of product a week, to initiate the sampling and sale of
materials to customers and build market awareness.
The plant to be constructed has to be able to not only carry out the reaction but also dry the
product without allowing it to cool and without having to transfer the product to a separate
chamber for drying. No plant like this exists.
The new flame retardant will be able to provide low smoke, fire safe and fire protective
composites for railway, aerospace, military and marine industries without the use of
hazardous flame retardants and without the loss of physical properties. This combination of
abilities makes the product unique. It will not only allow the lightweighting of occupied
vehicles and consequent energy saving without change to current manufacturing procedures
but also allow composites to be used in new applications.
The product creates low smoke and flame retarded rigid and flexible foams particularly for
railway rolling stock, and fire resistant external coatings such as may be applied to vehicles
operating in tunnels.
While the products demonstrate major advantages over the competitive technologies for the
intended applications, they impose significant difficulties in the three stage manufacturing
process. These the project will overcome.
The technology uses low cost, sustainable commodity raw materials, combining them in a
novel way, with low energy consumption and without production of by products. The final
products are insoluble, odourless, non hazardous, and will not alter recycling procedures. The
products are entirely polymeric and hence free from the need for REACH registration.