Deciphering the Flame Retardant Challenge — A note from the CEO

In our daily lives, the role of flame retardants in ensuring the safety of the products around us often goes unnoticed. Every item – from the upholstery in our living rooms to the walls of public spaces – has met rigorous fire safety standards to earn its place. Now more than ever, the landscape of these flame retardants is rapidly changing.

Over the past decade, many traditional flame retardants that have served us reliably are now under the microscope. Their environmental impact, potential health hazards, and compatibility with evolving fire safety standards are being scrutinized. As the world wakes up to new realities, our approach to flame retardancy needs a paradigm shift. For example, modern standards such as EN45545-2 go beyond mere flame resistance. They focus on real-life scenarios, evaluating products not just on their ability to resist flames but also on how they influence the progression of a fire.

Beyond just flame spread, concerns like smoke toxicity are becoming increasingly significant. But it’s not just the flame retardants. New resins like the HighSolid PU have emerged, necessitating industries to rethink their entire flame retardant strategy, keeping in mind challenges such as enhanced mechanical properties and resistance to water damage.

In this evolving environment, the one-size-fits-all principle of the past no longer applies.

This is where GULEC steps in.

We’re not just passive observers of these changes. Through relentless research and engineering, we’ve deepened our understanding of materials and their behavior in fire scenarios. Our dedicated team of chemists, backed by years of rigorous testing, have birthed our innovative solution: GERPHOS.

GERPHOS is not just another flame retardant. It’s our answer to today’s challenges. It replaces problematic flame retardants, supports recycling, and some versions under development even derive from organic waste. GERPHOS ensures compliance with modern fire safety standards, adapts to new resins and polymers, and meets stringent requirements like those for autoclave sterilization.

In the face of these challenges, GULEC, through GERPHOS, emphatically responds:

“Challenge accepted.”

Alper Gulec
CEO of GULEC