Flame retardant-containing plastic shipping container

Abstract

A halogen free fire resistant RF transparent polymer pallet has attenuated electrical resistance. A pallet body has a fire resistant layer and a substrate supporting the fire resistant layer. The fire resistant layer includes fire retardant materials, such as Al(OH) 3 , Mg(OH) 2 , intercalated graphite, zinc borate, and antimony oxide. The substrate is substantially free of the fire retardant materials to reduce the density and the electrical resistance of the pallet body. The fire resistant layer is substantially thinner than the substrate to lower RF distortion effects on RF transponder communications from additives and the conductive materials within an RF tracking system.

1 . A method for producing a flame retardant-containing plastic shipping or storage container or one or more shaped parts thereof comprising the steps:
 a) admixing a composition comprising (1) one or more thermosetting resins and one or more curing agents therefor, (2) a fully pre-polymerized uncrosslinked hydrocarbon polyolefin resin, and optionally a fully pre-polymerized uncrosslinked functionalized polyolefin, and   b) exposing said composition to curing conditions after forming the composition into a shipping or storage container or one or more shaped parts thereof, said shaped parts subsequently being secured together to form said shipping or storage container, wherein said polymeric composition comprises 1 to 49 parts by weight of said curable thermosetting resin, the parts by weight being based on the total composition, and 51 to 99 parts by weight of a combination of at least one of said fully prepolymerized uncrosslinked hydrocarbon polyolefin resin and said fully prepolymerized uncrosslinked functionalized polyolefin resin, the parts by weight being based on the total composition,   wherein said hydrocarbon polyolefin is present in the range of 25 to 99 parts by weight of the total composition and said functionalized polyolefin is present in the range of 0 to 50 parts by weight of the total composition, and wherein said plastic container composition contains a flame retardant, said flame retardant being selected from the group consisting of ammonium phosphates, compounds containing phosphorus-nitrogen bonds, and cyclic phosphates.   
     
     
         2 . A method for producing a flame retardant-containing plastic shipping or storage container or one or more shaped parts thereof comprising the steps:
 a) admixing a composition comprising
 (1) one or more thermosetting resins and one or more curing agents therefor, 
 (2) a fully pre-polymerized uncrosslinked hydrocarbon polyolefin resin, and optionally a fully pre-polymerized uncrosslinked functionalized polyolefin, and 
   b) exposing said composition to curing conditions after forming the composition into a shipping or storage container or one or more shaped parts thereof, said shaped parts subsequently being secured together to form said plastic shipping or storage container,
 wherein said plastic container composition contains a flame retardant, said flame retardant being selected from the group consisting of non-halogenated flame retardants, and wherein said plastic container further comprises one or more of radio frequency identification (RFID)-tags. 
   
     
     
         3 . A method for producing a flame retardant-containing plastic pallet or one or more shaped parts thereof comprising the steps:
 a) admixing a composition comprising
 (1) 1 to 49 parts by weight of one or more thermosetting resins and one or more curing agents therefor, the parts by weight being based on the total composition, and 
 (2) 51 to 99 parts by weight of a combination of at least one of a fully pre-polymerized uncrosslinked hydrocarbon polyolefin resin and optionally a fully pre-polymerized uncrosslinked functionalized polyolefin resin, the parts by weight being based on the total composition, wherein said hydrocarbon polyolefin is present in the range of 25 to 99 parts by weight of the total composition and said functionalized polyolefin is present in the range of 0 to 50 parts by weight of the total composition, and 
   b) exposing said composition to curing conditions after forming the composition into a plastic pallet or one or more shaped parts thereof,
 wherein said plastic pallet or one or more shaped parts thereof contains a flame retardant, said flame retardant being selected from the group consisting of non-halogenated flame retardants.