George H. Luh GmbH in Walluf, Germany, has concluded REACH registration for its expandable graphite.

The enterprise not only offers standard qualities at optimized costs, but also customized products for special applications. The range of products includes, for instance, ph-stabilized expandable graphites, as well as certain materials to meet particular demands concerning particle size or start-up temperature.

As a recent innovation, highly filled master batches are available, making material feeding easier and entirely dust-free. The batches are based on e.g. PP, PA or PS.

Special treatment turns the natural material of graphite into a flame retardant additive that is highly effective and environmentally friendly – the so-called expandable graphite.

And this is how it works: In a case of fire, heat makes the expandable graphite increase to a size several hundred times its original volume, forming an intumescence layer at the material surface. This layer inhibits or slows down the expansion of flames, thus reducing the most harmful effects to humans, which result from toxic gases and fumes.

Expandable graphite is particularly suited as a flame retardant in polymer foams, foils and coatings.