Flame retardants: Feedstocks
How Dead Sea brine ends up inside your laptop
What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.Each FR type rests on one raw material: alumina hydrate from bauxite for ATH, bromine from Dead Sea or brine for BFRs, phosphorus from phosphate rock for phosphorus FRs, and antimony ore for the synergist. Who owns those feedstocks decides cost, and Chinese and Middle Eastern supply decides risk.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Aluminium | 1 t hydrate is the product; about 0.65 t Al2O3 equivalent | ATH | most of ATH cost | stoichiometry |
| Br Bromine | about 0.6-0.85 t per t of brominated FR (indicative; DBDPE 82% Br) | active halogen | dominant for BFRs | bromine tile; stoichiometry |
| P Phosphate rock | not published | phosphorus FRs | not published | indicative |
| Sb Antimony | typically 1 part per 2-4 parts halogen FR (indicative) | synergist | large when antimony prices spike | antimony tile |
| NaCl Salt | not published | halogen | not published | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Dead Sea bromine (ICL, JBC) is the lowest-cost bromine; Chinese brine bromine is high-cost and closure-prone. ATH is cheapest from integrated alumina refineries.
Raw materials on the commodity table
Br BromineP Phosphate rockAl AluminiumWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| PU Polyurethanes (MDI, TDI, polyols) | TCPP in insulation foam |
| EPX Epoxy resins | TBBPA in circuit-board laminates |
| PS Polystyrene and EPS | polymeric FR in EPS and XPS |