Beryllium Hypophosphite

Description

Polymers are frequently rendered flame resistive by adding phosphorus and halogen compounds or mixtures thereof to them. Some polymers are processed at high temperatures, for example at 250°C or higher. For this reason, many known flame retardants are unsuitable for such applications, since they are too volatile or are not sufficiently heat resistant.
Beryllium forms a great number of organo-phosphinates which have been studied extensively. Suchmaterials have potential as a catalyst in controlling the growth and size of polymers in general and in the production of fireresistant polymers by incorporation of a metallic cation like Be²⁺.An example is the preparation andmeasurement of the physical properties of suchmaterials using infrared, DTA, and TGA methods of analysis.
The general structure of these organo-phosphinates has been proposed to be a linear but three-dimensional cyclic structure of phosphinate groups to which “R groups? dimethyl, tetramethylene, di-n-butyl, etc.” are attached.