Israeli chemical group ICL said its ICL Industrial Products segment (ICL IP) will close a manufacturing plant for its FR-1210 flame retardant product.

The closure follows the company's recent start of commercial-scale production of the FR-122P polymeric flame retardant used to fire-proof extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) and expanded polystyrene foam (EPS) under a 2012 licensing agreement with Dow Chemical.

Due to the switch to more sustainable products, ICL said it has stepped up its own R&D efforts to develop state-of-the-art alternatives to FR-1210 that are recommended by the SAFR (Systematic Assessment of Flame Retardant) tool it has developed and will launch at the plastics exhibition Chinaplas this month.

The company said closure of the FR-1210 production line reflects its customers' switch to moving to alternative suppliers in advance of the EU's ban on hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) flame retardants from August 21, 2015 as well as the competitive market for FR-1210, which includes numerous Chinese producers.

Other factors were said to include a move toward more sustainable products and the high cost of resuming production following a long strike.

ICL stressed, however, that it "remains committed" to the flame retardant Business.