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US4306878A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of selecting flame retardants for polymers

Assignee: Medical College of Wisconsin
•
Filing: 1980-08-29
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Granted: 1981-12-22
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Expires: 2000-08-29
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Abstract

Abstract A method for selecting a flame retardant for a polymer comprises using cross polarization and magic-angle sample spinning techniques to record well resolved 31P and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the polymer before and after ignition; recording 31P and 13C NMR spectra of the combination of polymer and a known flame retardant before and after ignition; characterizing the chemical and physical changes that occur in the flame retardant and the polymer upon ignition and thereby determining the chemical basis by which the known flame retardant is operating and using that knowledge to select another flame retardant that will be effective for use with the polymer.

Inventors

  • 👤 Charles E. Brown
  • 👤 Charles A. Wilkie

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 18:40
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N24/00; G01N24/08; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/24

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 3
Claim 1
Independent Claim 205 words
A method of determining the mechanism of action by which a known flame retardant is effective for a specific polymer so that the effectiveness of other compounds as flame retardants for that polymer can be predicted which method comprises: (a) using cross polarization, and "magic-angle" sample spinning techniques to record well resolved 31 P and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra for the combination of the polymer with the known effective flame retardant; (b) submitting samples of the combination of the known effective flame retardant and the polymer to stepwise controlled ignition which consists of heating the samples to a fixed temperature for a fixed period of time and then cooling the samples to room temperature; (c) measuring and recording the NMR spectra of the chemical components of the polymer and flame retardant combination before and after each step of the controlled ignition and; (d) analyzing the chemical composition of the components of the polymer and the flame retardant combination which are present at each step to identify the mechanism by which the effective flame retardant is operating, thereby making it possible to predict which other compounds capable of functioning in a similar chemical manner will be effective as flame retardants for said polymer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 205 words
A method of determining the mechanism of action by which a known flame retardant is effective for a specific polymer so that the effectiveness of other compounds as flame retardants for that polymer can be predicted which method comprises: (a) using cross polarization, and "magic-angle" sample spinning techniques to record well resolved 31 P and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra for the combination of the polymer with the known effective flame retardant; (b) submitting samples of the combination of the known effective flame retardant and the polymer to stepwise controlled ignition which consists of heating the samples to a fixed temperature for a fixed period of time and then cooling the samples to room temperature; (c) measuring and recording the NMR spectra of the chemical components of the polymer and flame retardant combination before and after each step of the controlled ignition and; (d) analyzing the chemical composition of the components of the polymer and the flame retardant combination which are present at each step to identify the mechanism by which the effective flame retardant is operating, thereby making it possible to predict which other compounds capable of functioning in a similar chemical manner will be effective as flame retardants for said polymer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 32 words
The method of claim 1 in which the controlled ignitions are conducted in different atmospheres selected from oxygen, nitrogen, nitrous oxide, air, and vacuum to characterize the differences in mechanisms of combustion.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3789060A Cited
JPS49125096A Cited
US3953171A Cited
US3868221A Cited
US3950135A Cited
US4120660A Cited
US4090847A Cited
US4254373A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1984-12-21 1985-06-22 1985-12-22 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1988-12-21 1989-06-22 1989-12-22 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1992-12-21 1993-06-22 1993-12-22 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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