Synergists Additives based on Natural

Silicates for Halogen and Halogen-Free

Flame Retardant systems
 Tolsa Proprietary Technology
ADINS® is a proprietary and patented technology based
on natural silicates that through surface modifications,
provides new functionalities and reinforces properties in
organic and inorganic materials.

Growing together

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2 ADINS® Flame Retardancy Tolsa 3
 ADINS Flame Retardancy
HOW IT WORKS?

The needle-like morphological structure of these products

forms a strong 3D reinforcing network within the Flame
Retardant, creating a consistent char after burning. The
char significantly improves its mechanical and gas barrier
properties, leading to clear benefits such as:

• Thermal stabilization of the polymer

• Creation of a heat barrier that protects the polymer from
burning
• Reduction of the emission of organic flammable volatile
compounds
• Reduction of the oxygen penetration into the polymer
decomposition zone
• Reduction of the dripping

Consequently, plastic components using ADINS® Technology

improve drastically its performance under fire conditions,
enabling compliance with the most stringent international
health and safety regulations.

Our Technology
ADINS® Flame Retardant technology offers a versatile product
range of additives for polymers that act as synergists with Halogen PRODUCT OVERVIEW
and Halogen Free Flame Retardant systems. They significantly
improve the behavior of plastic components under fire conditions, ADINS® Clay ADINS® Fireproof & ADINS® Clay G1
enabling their compliance with the most stringent international ADINS® Clay series are magnesium ADINS® Fireproof are ceramifying additives based on a
health and safety regulations such as the European Construction silicates modified in their surface natural silicate activated with phosphate compounds
Products Regulation (CPR) or the Railway EN45545. with organic compounds to ease its whereas ADINS® Clay G1 are based on the modified silicate
dispersion in polymeric matrices. with low melting point glass.
ADINS® Flame Retardant synergists can be combined with the main
polymeric systems (as well as other systems such as Intumescent The needle-like structure reinforces These compounds reinforce the synergetic effect of the
Paints), including thermoplastics and thermosets, boosting the the consistency of the char, ADINS® technology with the flame retardant systems due
performance of Halogen and Halogen Free Flame Retardants. Some improving its properties and its gas to the low temperature glass they form after burning by
of the ADINS additives benefits under fire conditions are: barrier capabilities. This enhanced enhancing the consistency of the 3D reinforcing network
char decreases heat release and within the char.
flame propagation, and also This ceramic char is very stable, consistent and compact,
• Anti-dripping effect reduces smoke emissions and therefore it’s more capable of reducing fire propagation by
• Reduction of the flame propagation dripping (anti-dripping effect) polymer dripping, minimizing heat release, decreasing Total
• Smoke suppression Smoke Production and improving the integrity of the material.
• Reduction of the heat release All these benefits are proven
by using standard fire behavior The use of ADINS® Fireproof and ADINS® Clay G1 boosts
characterization test methods the performance of Halogen and Halogen Free Flame
ADINS® Flame Retardant technology is a sustainable and cost- such as UL-94, LOI and Cone Retardant systems to the highest levels, enabling your plastic
Calorimeter. components pass the most stringent fire requirements.
effective solution that significantly enhances the base material
properties with low addition dosages (1% to 5% w/w), allowing
compliance with the highest technical requirements under fire
conditions.
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4 ADINS® Flame Retardancy Tolsa 5
 ADINS meets your needs
Increasingly stringent regulations as well as environmental, health and safety
standards are directly influencing the demand for alternative and safe materials
that grows day by day.

ADINS® products meet the growing demand for synergists, optimizing not
only the consumption of conventional flame retardants, but also providing and
enhancing desired properties and functionalities such as anti-dripping, char
promotion, significant reduction of smoke and heat generation, among others.

ADINS® technology allows the development of customized grades that

guarantee compliance with the specific client and industry requirements.

Anti-dripping improvement
ADINS® additives, based on natural silicates, allow to modify viscosity under fire conditions,
avoiding dripping. Smoke & Heat Release Reduction
PVC PP - Halogen The establishment of regulations such ADINS® synergists promote char formation,
as the CPR in the EU and its adaptation creating a physical barrier, protecting
in other markets have a big impact and the material and reducing heat and
scope in different industries, especially in smoke emission as well as volatile organic
the Wire & Cable. compounds generated.

The Construction Products Regulation The required dosage of ADINS® are low,
harmonize a series of requirements ranging from 1 to 5% for commonly used
regarding fire behavior, including the need formulations, however, the impact on the
to achieve a lower smoke emission and properties is remarkable, even allowing to
toxicity. reduce FR doses.
REFERENCE ADINS REFERENCE ADINS

UL-94 Vertical Burning Tests Results There is a need for safer materials and Some examples of %TSP reduction are
ADINS® products can help to achieve this presented below:
goal:
ADINS synergists drastically reduce dripping allowing V-0 rating on different systems,
such as polyamide and polyester.

UL-94 TEST RESULTS Intumescent Halogen (ATO) Hydroxide In EVA, the reductions in heat
48% release and smoke production
47%
Reference V-2 V-2 No Rating are from 30 to 50%, and in the
PP 45% case of rubber, a reduction of
ADINS® V-0 V-0 V-0 almost 50% in the generation
42% of smoke is achieved.
Reference No Rating - -
PA In addition and regarding
ADINS® V-0 - V-0 mechanical properties, in EPDM
formulations, the tensile and
Reference - - V-0 elongation break are improved
EVA
ADINS® - - V-0 when incorporating ADINS® as
EPDM/ATH EVA/ATHP P/Intumescent PVC or well as harness.
Reference - V-2 V-2 PP/Halogen
PVC %TSP Reduction
FR
ADINS® - V-0 V-0

The dosage of ADINS® to avoid dripping, will depend on each system. All samples has been tested at 1,6 mm.

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 Metal hydroxides TOTAL SMOKE PRODUCTION Intumescent CONE CALORIMETER TESTAT 50kW/m2

14 ADINS® Clay have also demonstrated

ADINS® Clay in combination with Metal 13.1 m 815
13 further stabilization of the char in 900
Hydroxide Flame Retardants (dosages 12 intumescent systems (dosages around
around 3%) significantly increases the 800
11 1-2%), improving the flame retardant
residual yield, which slows down the mass 10 efficiency. 700
reduction rate and reduces the release of 9
flammable gases. 8 600
ADINS® Clay synergy with intumescents

TSP (m)
Simultaneously, the addition of ADINS®

HRR (kW/m2)
7 decreases and delays the peak of the 500
synergists creates a swelled and non- 6 6.4 m
heat release rate and acts as a Smoke
cracked char, therefore heat and mass 5 400
Suppressor.
transfer between flame and polymer 4 3.4 m 251 (-65%)
300
substrate is effectively prevented. 3 213 (-74%)
The use of ADINS® Clay improves the
Consequently, Flame Retardant content can 2 200
cost efficiency of the formulations with
be reduced, improving the process ability 1
intumescent flame retardants. 100
and mechanical properties of the material. 0
0 2004 00 6008 00 1.000
0
0 200 400 600 800
EVA/ATH/ADINS Clay EVA/ATH Pure EVA Time(s)

Heat Release Rate and Total Smoke Production of a EVA

formulation with 3% of ADINS® Clay and 62% of ATH in
Halogen FR TOTAL SMOKE PRODUCTION
comparison with pure EVA and EVA with 65% of ATH.
ADINS® Clay in combination with Halogen
Flame Retardants (dosages around 1%),
dramatically reduces heat release as
well as maximum smoke temperature,
improving the UL-94 rating and increasing
LOI percentage level.
EVA/ATH EVA/ATH/ADINS
ADINS® Clay has proven its efficiency as
Char layer obtained using synergist with halogen flame retardant
ADINS® Clay in a cable systems in standard formulations with
formulation based on EVA. PVC and PP, reducing smoke emissions up
to 48%.

Heat Release Rate and Total Smoke

Production of a PP copolymer
formulation with 2% of ADINS Clay and
23% of intumescente in comparison PP
with 25% of intumescent.
PP-FR25/ADINS® Clay PP-FR25 PurePP

ATO Reduction
The antimony trioxide is one of the most widely used additive in industry, but its safety is under
regulatory study, due to its toxicity and potential carcinogenicity.
In addition, the variability of its prices, and problems in terms of supply, are other aspects that have
generated concerns among end users.
However, in some applications such as E&E, its use is unavoidable.
Alternatives such as increasing hydroxide FR load generate processability and performance
problems. Therefore, there is a need for safer synergists like ADINS, that are able to reduce ATO
dosage without damaging final properties and processability.
ADINS® helps to reduce up to 50% or eliminate the ATO content levels from the formulation (in PVC
or PP matrices for example) when combined with flame retardant systems like ATH or MDH.
ADINS® Clay improves the efficiency of the flame retardant system by reducing its dosage, therefore
creating more environmentally friendly solution that still complies with standard regulations.

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 Products &
Applications

ADINS® is very efficient for a large number

of matrices, some examples are shown in
the table.

The recommendation will depend on the

formulation, the most representative ones
are shown.

Tolsa, has one of the most extensive

and differentiated range of special
clays worldwide, offering a broad
range of additives and industrial
products that provide high added
value and improve the performance
and efficiency of materials. Tolsa has
more than 32 mining operations to
produce the highest quality sepiolite,
bentonite and atapulgite, which
generate more than 150 million tons
of raw materials. The acquisition of
new deposits is a key priority in order
to renew reserves as well as to offer
each customer other types of raw
materials to meet their needs. Tolsa
focuses on intelligent production
that is modern, efficient, precise,
flexible, punctual, safe and respectful
of the environment. Each process
HYDROXIDE INTUMESCENT HALOGEN
is subjected to stringent quality
EVA PVC EPDM UPS PP PA Coating PVC PP controls and the company is certified
under ISO 9000 and ISO 14000. Tolsa
ADINS® CLAY 20 has a production capacity of more
ADINS® Clay
than 1,2 million tons, and its factories
ADINS® CLAY 80T
Wire & Cable are located near mining operations,
ADINS® CLAY SIL-1 Electricity & Electronics or in port areas near end users.
Construction (pipes, insulating
ADINS® CLAY G1 20 foams, etc.)
Transport
ADINS® CLAY G1 80T

ADINS® FIREPROOF 20
ADINS® Fireproof
& ADINS® Clay G1
ADINS® FIREPROOF 80T
Ceramificable Wire & Cable
ADINS® FIREPROOF SIL-1 Special Structural Parts
Intumescent Paint&Coating

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Tolsa
Calle de Albasanz, 12,
Planta 4ª,
28037 Madrid
Tel.:+34 91 322 0100

www.tolsa.com/our-solutions/functional-additives/
adins@tolsa.com