Zinc Diethylphosphinate (ZDP)

Catalog NumberACM284685456

CAS Number284685-45-6

CategoryOther Phosphorus Flame Retardants

Solubility	slightly soluble in water and common organic solvents
Appearance	white free-running powder
Application	It is suitable for the halogen-free flame retardant modification of polyester film and polyester fiber. It is especially suitable for PET fiber textiles and PET film system.
Bulk Density	350~550 kg/m3
Content	content of active substance: 99 (％), phosphorus content /%(w/w): 19.5~21.0; Zinc content /%(w/w): 20.5~22.0
Feature	High phosphorus content, halogen-free, good compatibility with polymer.
Moisture Content	< 0.5%
Packaging	net weight 20kg

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Case Study

Zinc Diethylphosphinate as a Core Component in a Multifunctional Microporous-Micronucleus Polyamide 6 Composite

Feng, Haisheng, et al. Composites Part B: Engineering 261 (2023): 110808.

This study described how zinc diethylphosphinate (ZDP) was incorporated as a functional micronucleus component within a designed microporous-micronucleus polyamide-6 (PA6) composite (MG/OPS/ZDP/PA6) to deliver a combination of enhanced low-temperature toughness, low dielectric constant, improved fire performance and antibacterial activity.
The composite system is built from: PA6 as the polymer matrix; monoglyceride (MG) as the main melt additive that forms micropores during processing; octaphenylsilsesquioxane (OPS) as a nanoscale cage (nanocage) and functional synergist; and ZDP as the phosphorus-containing flame-retardant micronucleus additive. The design intentionally exploits differences in compatibility and phase transition among PA6, MG, OPS and ZDP to induce a microporous-micronucleus microstructure during standard extrusion and injection molding.
Key Performance:
· Ultra-Low-Temperature Toughness: The composite exhibited a dramatic 203.3% increase in impact strength (5.58 kJ/m²) compared to neat PA6 at an extreme temperature of -170°C. The microporous structure effectively passivates crack tips and dissipates fracture energy.
· Low Dielectric Constant: The combination of microporous voids and the nano-cage structure of OPS resulted in a low dielectric constant of 2.95 at 100 Hz.
· Flame retardancy: Thermal insulation from micropores together with synergistic interaction between OPS and ZDP in the micronuclei produced enhanced flame resistance of the composite. The micronucleus (containing ZDP and OPS) contributes condensed- and gas-phase flame-retardant actions.
· Antibacterial activity: The MG distributed on the inner micropore surfaces and ZDP in the micronuclei imparted a dual antibacterial effect in the composite.

Zinc Diethylphosphinate in Phosphorus-Bromine Synergistic Systems for Flame-Retardant PET Foams

Du, Jia, et al. Polymers 16.12 (2024): 1690.

This study examined the use of zinc diethylphosphinate (ZDP) together with decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) to improve the flame retardancy of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foams.A phosphorus-bromine synergistic formulation produces thick, porous char layers that isolate heat and retard thermal decomposition of the PET matrix.
Formulation optimization: The work evaluated PET modified with ZDP (zinc diethyl hypophosphite/ zinc diethylphosphinate family) and decabromodiphenylethane (DBDPE) across multiple ratios. Representative optimized bulk (non-foamed) formulations were ZDP/DBDPE = 9:3 and 7:5, which produced the most substantial char layers and the highest LOI values. For extruded foams, ZDP/DBDPE ratios of 3:1 and 2:1 were applied and tested.
Synergistic char expansion: Combining ZDP (acid source) with DBDPE (gas source) produced porous, expanded carbon layers that significantly improved thermal insulation between flame and PET. At ZDP/DBDPE ratios of 9:3 and 7:5, the best bulk samples produced thick residual char and LOI values of 32.7% and 33.6%, respectively; both formulations achieved UL-94 V-0 in vertical burning tests.
Foamed systems: For extruded foams, ZDP/DBDPE ratios of 3:1 and 2:1 still produced V-0 vertical burn classification and LOI values above 27%, indicating that the synergistic approach translates to foamed structures when formulation and processing are tuned.
Foaming performance & processing window: Because ZDP is more PET-compatible than DBDPE, increasing ZDP at a fixed total additive level improved melt viscoelasticity, widened the foaming temperature window, and enhanced foaming efficiency. An optimized ratio (PET/7ZDP/5DBDPE) produced the best balance of dispersion and foaming, achieving a maximum foaming ratio of 39×.

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