Names | |
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IUPAC name
1,1'-ethane-1,2-diylbis(pentabromobenzene)
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Other names
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Identifiers | |
3D model (JSmol)
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ChEMBL | |
ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.076.669 |
EC Number |
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PubChem CID
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UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
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Properties | |
C14H4Br10 | |
Molar mass | 971.226 g·mol−1 |
Appearance | White solid |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Decabromodiphenyl ethane is a chemical compound used as a brominated flame retardant. It was commercialised in the 1990s as an alternative for decabromodiphenyl ether,[1] following safety concern over that compound. The two molecules are chemically very similar, which gives them a similar application profile. Decabromodiphenyl ethane is now also coming under regulatory pressure.[2]
Decabromodiphenylethane is used as a flame retardant in a wide variety of materials including high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyolefins and elastomers. Antimony trioxide is often included as a synergist. Its use in epoxy resins (used for circuit boards), HIPS and ABS (casings), wire and cable means that it is common in electronic devices.[3] The amount manufactured in China between 2006 and 2016 was 230,000 tons, of which 39,000 tons were exported from China in electrical appliances.[4] Under the REACH Regulation, it is registered for the manufacture in and/or the import to the European Economic Area in the tonnage band between 10 000 and 100 000 tonnes per year.[2] In e-waste, an average concentration of 340±200 ppm was found in a study conducted in 2011, confirming the widespread occurrence of the chemical in electronic equipment.[5]
Decabromodiphenylethane was first detected in the environment in 2004.[6] It has been found in biota, air,[7] sediments,[8] sewage sludge,[1] and house dust.[9]