Clariant is fully committed to sustainability

Reliable protection against fires that moves with the times

Traditional flame retardants based on halogens like bromine or chlorine have come under increasing regulatory and environmental pressure, with some products being restricted already. Clariant’s flame retardants, on the contrary, are based on phosphorus. This allows them to provide environmentally more compatible fire protection to many industries, ranging from the building & construction and electrical & electronics to the textiles & fibers and transportation segment. Our products have always been one step ahead in enabling more sustainable manufacturing and in meeting the environmental challenges of our times.

The ancient Romans worshipped the goddess Terra as »Mother Earth« – and with Exolit® OP Terra, we offer a line of renewable-based and thus particularly earth-friendly flame retardants. They are not only derived from sustainably produced bio-based raw materials, but also free of any palm oil derivatives and animal content. To manufacturers, they provide a like-for-like drop-in that performs precisely as the fossil-based grade, with no need to re-test, renew registrations, or modify processes or equipment.

Our Terra line is the result of a cooperation with producers of renewable hydrocarbons, who provide the mass balance-certified ethylene from renewable feedstock we use for making the more earth-friendly alternatives. Mass balance means that a third party verifies that for each amount of ethylene we use, the same quantity of renewable-based ethylene has actually entered the production network.

This approach, which in our case is certified along the REDcert2 scheme, makes it much easier to use bio-based feedstock within today’s highly complex value chains – and thereby reduce consumption of fossil resources and emission of CO2. When customers see the word »Terra« added to any of our products, they can be sure they are based on renewable materials to a high degree: Made from mass balance or even segregation-certified feedstock, they have a renewable carbon index (RCI) of at least 50%.

Exolit® OP Terra from our Knapsack site has an approximately 20% lower carbon footprint than the fossil-based standard grade before 2020. This reduction has been made possible by the introduction of renewable raw materials and the shift to renewable electricity at the Knapsack site. The CO2 reduction – based on the amount of Exolit® OP sold in 2018 – equaled the annual electricity consumption of more than 1,500 homes.