After the initial selection, these different combinations were studied in terms of potential environmental and toxicological risks, profitable industrial applications, flame-retardant product use, and fire safety.

Throughout the project's duration, ENFIRO researchers followed a pragmatic approach, avoiding final recommendations on environmentally compatible options that would not be viable for implementation by the industry.

According to ENFIRO coordinator Dr. Pim Leonards, “the project has yielded great results as the team concluded that viable alternative flame-retardants are indeed available.” These alternatives, called Halogen-free flame-retardants (HFFRs), offer similar fire performance and technical application capabilities as BFRs, while limiting health and environmental concerns.

"Some of these alternatives hold fewer risks for the environment and human health, while demonstrating similar fire performance and technical application capabilities as the brominated flame-retardants. They can be used safely in various applications,” says Dr. Leonards. The reduced risk is mainly due to the lower hazards posed by the HFFRs.

The assessments of the alternative flame-retardants underline the real possibility for manufacturers to produce components that meet high safety and fire protection requirements without using the conventional BFRs.