Electronics, vehicles, textiles – almost all modern-day
products contain some form of plastic. Its high combustibility means it must be
protected from naked flames. New techniques simplify the production of
environmentally friendly flame retardants.
Alarmingly, some 600 people die in household fires in
Germany ever year. Often started by nothing more than a small tea light, such
fires can soon take hold. Once a few objects are alight, room temperatures
shoot up as high as 800 degrees Celsius, and flames quickly spread to other
rooms, leaving inhabitants with precious little time to escape after a fire has
broken out – usually no more than around two minutes.