Teijin DuPont Films Japan Limited, a global joint venture partnership for polyester films between Teijin Limited and E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Co., has developed a polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) film, Teonex® QF, approved for world-class flame retardance with a UL rating of VTM-0, automatic extinction within ten seconds of ignition.
Teonex® QF offers excellent strength and heat resistance thanks to Teijin’s proprietary flame-retardant filler. Halogenated flame retardants are not used, however, eliminating related concerns regarding environmental impact and human health.
Sales revenue of 2.0 billion yen is targeted by the fiscal year ending in March 2017. Applications for Teonex® QF film include lithium ion batteries, flexible printed circuit board substrates, flat cables, and both lighting and construction architectural materials.
Highly functional PEN films originally developed by the Teijin group have feature of excellent strength, heat resistance, anti-hydrolysis and dimensional stability.
They are widely used for organic lighting, e-paper, fuel cells, other electronics and automotive products. These PEN films burn for up to 30 seconds after exposure to a flame, a UL rating of VTM-2 (automatic extinction within thirty seconds of ignition), so they are used only for specific applications.
While it has been possible to produce PEN films with flame retardance above the VTM-2 level, until now such films have incorporated halogenated flame-retardant additives and flame-retardant coatings, leading to higher costs and environmental burdens.