Get the latest tech news
Boron-Based Flame Retardants: Enabling Everyday Safety
Fifty years ago, U.S. Borax introduced a multifunctional, zinc borate, flame retardant we called Firebrake. Learn how we improved the fire safety of essential materials that surround us every day.
Called the “Bel Air Fire,” this nightmare ripped through one of the most high-profile neighborhoods in the country, home to several famous actors and even then Vice President Richard Nixon. While these measures were overdue, they fell short of addressing the underlying problem: Highly combustible materials surrounding people needed an effective flame retardant. In 1972, we released our groundbreaking product Firebrake ZB, a zinc borate additive to enhance the effectiveness of flame-retardant formulations for several products—both cellulosic and polymeric based.
Or read this on Hacker News