DBDPE (decabromodiphenyl ethane, CAS 84852-53-9) is a non-polymeric additive brominated flame retardant that carries at least 82 % bromine and is used mainly in high-impact polystyrene, ABS and polyolefins, where it replaced decabromodiphenyl ether (decaBDE). Because DBDPE substitutes for a substance that is now a persistent organic pollutant, the first question buyers ask is whether the substitute has followed the original into regulation.
Three instruments hold the answer. DBDPE has been on the REACH Candidate List since 5 November 2025 as very persistent and very bioaccumulative under Article 57(e), it is not restricted under REACH Annex XVII, and Canada prohibits it under the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2025 (SOR/2025-270) from 30 June 2026. DBDPE is one of 87 flame retardant pages in our directory of plastic additives, each with the same identity, dosage and regulatory fields.
This page carries the data sheet and the compliance file together: the ethane bridge that separates DBDPE from decaBDE, the gas-phase mechanism with antimony trioxide, the 8 to 12 wt% loading in HIPS and ABS, 5 applications, the UL 94 V-0 result at 0.8 mm, the dated regulatory matrix, the alternatives and the suppliers.
Table T1. DBDPE identity card.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Name | 1,1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[pentabromobenzene] |
| Abbreviations | DBDPE, EBP |
| Synonyms | decabromodiphenyl ethane, decabromodiphenylethane, ethane-1,2-bis(pentabromophenyl) |
| CAS number | 84852-53-9 |
| EC number | 284-366-9 |
| Molecular formula | C14H4Br10 |
| Molecular weight | 971.2 g/mol |
| Chemical class | non-polymeric additive aromatic brominated flame retardant (ABFR) |
| Function | additive flame retardant for styrenics, polyolefins and elastomers |
| Bromine content | at least 82 % (Saytex 8010) |
| Trade names | Saytex 8010, Firemaster 2100 (historic), FR-1410 |
| REACH | registered, 10,000 to 100,000 tonnes per year band |
| REACH Candidate List (SVHC) | yes, 5 November 2025 (vPvB, Article 57(e)) |
| REACH Annex XVII | not restricted |
| Not to be confused with | decaBDE (decabromodiphenyl ether), CAS 1163-19-5, a different substance and a listed persistent organic pollutant |
Footnote: identity data from PubChem CID 10985889 and ECHA CHEM 100.076.669; bromine content and trade name from the Albemarle Saytex 8010 data sheet. Status as of 22 September 2026.
What Is DBDPE (Decabromodiphenyl Ethane)?#
DBDPE is two pentabromophenyl rings joined by a two-carbon ethane bridge, a molecule of formula C14H4Br10 and molecular weight 971.2 g/mol that acts as an additive flame retardant rather than a reactive one. Each aromatic ring carries five bromine atoms, which is where the prefix deca comes from, and the ethane bridge links the rings through carbon alone. Bromine accounts for at least 82 % of the mass of the Saytex 8010 grade. What does "additive" mean for a flame retardant?
An additive flame retardant is physically blended into the polymer melt and forms no covalent bond with the polymer chain, unlike a reactive flame retardant, which is built into the backbone during polymerisation. Because the additive is not chemically bound, it can migrate out of the article, which is why additive types rather than reactive types attract most restriction work. As an additive rather than a reactive type, DBDPE belongs to the group of flame retardants for plastics that are blended in and can be lost again.
What does DBDPE stand for?#
DBDPE stands for decabromodiphenyl ethane, and regulators list the same substance under its systematic name, 1,1'-(ethane-1,2-diyl)bis[pentabromobenzene], with EC number 284-366-9. Three further names appear on data sheets and in chemical databases: decabromodiphenylethane written as one word, the abbreviation EBP, and ethane-1,2-bis(pentabromophenyl), and all of them carry the single CAS number 84852-53-9.
Is DBDPE the same as decaBDE?#
No: DBDPE and decaBDE are different substances. DBDPE (CAS 84852-53-9) joins its two brominated rings with an ethane bridge, while decaBDE (CAS 1163-19-5) joins them with an ether oxygen, which makes decaBDE a polybrominated diphenyl ether and DBDPE not one. That single atom decides the regulatory outcome: decaBDE is listed in Annex A of the Stockholm Convention and in the EU POPs Regulation, while DBDPE is not listed under either instrument as of 22 September 2026. DecaBDE (decabromodiphenyl ether) also reached the REACH Candidate List on 19 December 2012, almost 13 years before the European Union added its substitute.
Two consequences follow. DBDPE is not a PBDE, so the RoHS entries for polybrominated diphenyl ethers and polybrominated biphenyls, both set at 0.1 % per homogeneous material, do not reach it. And the CAS number for decabromodiphenyl ether is 1163-19-5, not 84852-53-9.
The four attributes that separate DBDPE from decaBDE.
| Attribute | DBDPE | decaBDE |
|---|---|---|
| Bridge between the rings | ethane, two carbon atoms | ether, one oxygen atom |
| CAS number | 84852-53-9 | 1163-19-5 |
| Stockholm Convention and EU POPs | not listed as of 22 September 2026 | Annex A since COP-8 in 2017; EU unintentional trace contaminant limit 10 mg/kg for the sum of tetra- to decaBDE under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1482 |
| RoHS | not covered: DBDPE is neither a PBB nor a PBDE | covered by the PBDE entry at 0.1 % per homogeneous material |
Why are DBDPE and decaBDE confused?#
DBDPE and decaBDE are confused for three reasons: both carry ten bromine atoms, their molecular weights differ by only 12 g/mol (971.2 against 959.17), and DBDPE was commercialised in the 1990s specifically to replace decaBDE in the same HIPS housings. The abbreviations compound the problem, because decaBDE also travels under DBDPO, decabromodiphenyl oxide, which differs from DBDPE by a single letter on a data sheet or a purchase order.
Formulation practice adds a fourth overlap: both are additive aromatic brominated flame retardants, both are dosed with antimony trioxide as the gas-phase synergist, and both were sold into the same HIPS and ABS housings, so a compound that once ran on decaBDE looks much like the compound that runs on DBDPE today.
Which class of flame retardant is DBDPE?#
DBDPE belongs to the non-polymeric aromatic brominated flame retardants, the sub-class that the European Commission singled out for a REACH restriction, in contrast to the polymeric brominated flame retardants that the same work explicitly leaves out of scope. The class label has three parts: aromatic, because the bromine sits on benzene rings; brominated, because bromine is the active halogen; and non-polymeric, because the molecule is small enough to move.
Among brominated flame retardants, the non-polymeric aromatic group is the one the EU restriction work targets. ECHA names DBDPE, TBPH and BTBPE as the three mandated Substances of Very High Concern inside that group, adds 19 further aromatic brominated flame retardants under interim PBT and vPvB assessment, and keeps polymeric brominated flame retardants such as brominated polystyrene outside the scope.
How Does DBDPE Work as a Flame Retardant?#
DBDPE works in the gas phase: on heating it releases hydrogen bromide, which scavenges the hydrogen and hydroxyl radicals that propagate the flame and replaces them with far less reactive bromine radicals. A flame sustains itself through a branching chain reaction in which H· and OH· radicals multiply faster than they are consumed, and a halogen donor interrupts that arithmetic rather than cooling the polymer. Where does the bromine go once the polymer starts to decompose?
The bromine leaves the additive as hydrogen bromide and, when antimony trioxide is present, as antimony tribromide, and both species travel into the flame front as gases. Our source library records gas-phase action for DBDPE and no condensed-phase contribution. The gas-phase sequence runs in 3 steps.
- Thermal release of hydrogen bromide from the additive as the polymer decomposes.
- Radical scavenging of H· and OH· in the flame front by HBr or antimony tribromide.
- Chain-branching collapse and flame extinction, as far less reactive bromine radicals replace the radicals that carried the chain.
Gas-phase and condensed-phase routes are compared on how flame retardants work. DBDPE is also thermally stable and non-blooming and can hold up better than decaBDE under ultraviolet light, a qualitative supplier comparison rather than a measured value.
Why does DBDPE need antimony trioxide?#
DBDPE needs antimony trioxide because the synergist converts the released hydrogen bromide into volatile antimony tribromide, a far more efficient carrier of bromine into the flame than HBr alone. The reaction runs stepwise: antimony trioxide reacts with the hydrogen halide to form antimony oxyhalides, which decompose further to volatile SbBr3 that carries bromine into the flame front and inhibits the radical chain. The Albemarle HIPS data point pairs 10.7 wt% bromine with 5 wt% Sb2O3.
The synergist brings its own regulatory file. Antimony trioxide (CAS 1309-64-4) carries a harmonised classification of Carc. 2 with hazard statement H351 under CLP index 051-005-00-X, a California Proposition 65 cancer listing dated 1 October 1990 and an IARC Group 2A evaluation for trivalent antimony (Monographs Volume 131, 2022), although it is not on the REACH Candidate List. Chinese export licensing since August 2024 pushed the antimony trioxide price to an average of USD 25 per pound in 2025, so a DBDPE system inherits a second regulated ingredient and a second supply risk.
What Are the Physical and Chemical Properties of DBDPE?#
DBDPE is a white solid with a melting point above 345 °C (653 °F) and a bromine content of at least 82 % by weight, which is what lets it survive compounding temperatures for engineering plastics. The melting point is recorded as a lower bound rather than a point value, and the bromine specification belongs to the Saytex 8010 grade. Formula C14H4Br10 and molecular weight 971.2 g/mol complete the recorded set.
Table T2. DBDPE physical and chemical properties.
| Property | Value | Unit | Source status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appearance | white solid | n/a | supplier data sheet |
| Melting point | above 345 (above 653) | °C (°F) | supplier data sheet, Saytex 8010 |
| Bromine content | at least 82 | wt% | supplier data sheet, Saytex 8010 |
| Molecular formula | C14H4Br10 | n/a | PubChem CID 10985889 |
| Molecular weight | 971.2 | g/mol | PubChem CID 10985889 |
| Boiling point | not published | °C | catalogue values are computed predictions, not measurements |
| Density | not published | g/cm3 | no measured value in our source library |
| Water solubility | not published | mg/L | no measured value in our source library |
Our substance directory holds no measured boiling point, density or solubility for DBDPE, and catalogue entries that print a boiling point of 676 °C give a computed prediction rather than a measurement, which is why those rows stay open above.
Which Polymers Use DBDPE, and at What Dosage?#
DBDPE is used at about 8 to 12 wt% in high-impact polystyrene and ABS, always together with antimony trioxide, and at formulation-specific levels in polypropylene, polyethylene, elastomers, PBT and polyamide. The styrenic figure comes from Albemarle Saytex 8010 data for a UL 94 V-0 result at 0.8 mm; the remaining polymers appear in the uses recorded in the ECHA Substance of Very High Concern dossier without a published loading. Why is the loading quoted as bromine content rather than as additive content?
Flame-retardant performance follows the bromine delivered to the flame, not the powder added to the extruder, so data sheets state wt% bromine and the additive loading follows from the grade's bromine content. Our source library records the Albemarle HIPS system as 10.7 wt% bromine plus 5 wt% Sb2O3 and, separately, a DBDPE level of about 8 to 12 wt%, and this page quotes both figures as recorded rather than deriving one from the other. Flame retardant loadings sit at the top of the range of additive dosage levels in plastics.
Table T3. DBDPE loading by polymer.
| Polymer | Typical DBDPE level | Synergist | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| HIPS | about 8 to 12 wt% | 5 wt% Sb2O3 | UL 94 V-0 at 0.8 mm, Albemarle Saytex 8010 data |
| ABS | about 8 to 12 wt% | 5 wt% Sb2O3 | same system, Albemarle data |
| PP | formulation-specific | Sb2O3 | brominated route to UL 94 V-0; no DBDPE-specific loading recorded |
| PE | formulation-specific | Sb2O3 | listed use; no loading recorded |
| PBT and PA | not recorded | not recorded | uses listed in the ECHA SVHC dossier |
| Elastomers | not recorded | not recorded | uses listed in the ECHA SVHC dossier |
DBDPE in HIPS (high-impact polystyrene) and ABS#
A HIPS compound reaches UL 94 V-0 at 0.8 mm with 10.7 wt% bromine and 5 wt% antimony trioxide, which corresponds to roughly 8 to 12 wt% DBDPE according to Albemarle's Saytex 8010 data. High-impact polystyrene burns with heavy soot and no protective char, so the standard route to a vertical burn rating is a brominated donor plus an antimony synergist. The full set of flame retardants for polystyrene covers GPPS, HIPS, EPS and XPS.
ABS follows the same brominated-plus-antimony route, and a compounder choosing between donors has four recorded options: DBDPE, FR-245, brominated epoxy oligomers and additive TBBPA, each paired with antimony trioxide and usually with PTFE as an anti-drip agent for thin-wall parts. Halogen-free V-0 in this family means changing the polymer rather than the additive, because the practical routes run through PC/ABS or PPE/HIPS blends with bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate) or resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate). Halogen-free routes for the same rating are compared on flame retardants for ABS.
DBDPE in polyolefins: polypropylene and polyethylene#
Polypropylene needs a flame retardant because unmodified PP has a limiting oxygen index of only about 17.5 % oxygen and drips without forming char, and DBDPE with antimony trioxide is the brominated route to UL 94 V-0 in that polymer. The lower-rated V-2 class in polypropylene is usually served by other brominated donors, FR-370 or TBBPA-DBPE, so the donor tracks the target rating rather than the polymer. The brominated and intumescent options are compared on flame retardants for polypropylene.
Polyethylene appears in the same list of recorded uses, again without a published DBDPE loading, and in both polyolefins the commercial comparison is against the halogen-free intumescent system. An ammonium polyphosphate intumescent needs 22 to 30 wt% of the polymer for UL 94 V-0, or 21 wt% as a 2:1 PAPP to MPP one-pack, two to three times the loading a brominated system uses. Loadings for PE cable and film sit on flame retardants for polyethylene.
DBDPE in engineering plastics and elastomers#
DBDPE is also listed for PBT, polyamide and elastomers, although glass-filled PA66 and PBT compounds more often use the polymeric alternative, brominated polystyrene, for its thermal stability. No DBDPE loading for these polymers is recorded in our source library, so this page names the use and prints no value.
What Is DBDPE Used For? 5 Applications in Plastics#
DBDPE is used in 5 main plastics applications: electrical and electronic housings, wire and cable, construction foams and roofing, textile back-coatings and wood-plastic composites. The 5 areas are listed below.
- Electrical and electronic housings in HIPS and ABS.
- Wire and cable compounds, particularly automotive ones.
- Construction foams and roofing membranes.
- Textile back-coatings, a textile-finishing use rather than a plastics compounding use.
- Wood-plastic composites.
Electrical and electronic housings#
Electrical and electronic housings in HIPS and ABS are the largest plastics use of DBDPE, and they are also where the EU has already closed one door: Regulation (EU) 2019/2021 bans halogenated flame retardants in the enclosures and stands of electronic displays from 1 March 2021. The General Court of the European Union upheld that measure, so a display enclosure placed on the EU market cannot carry a brominated system whatever its RoHS position.
Electrical and electronic equipment is also one of the three sectors named in the scope of the REACH restriction ECHA is preparing for non-polymeric aromatic brominated flame retardants, which puts the remaining housing applications inside the same regulatory perimeter. The full additive package for a housing compound is on additives for electrical and electronics.
Wire and cable compounds#
DBDPE goes into wire and cable compounds, particularly automotive ones, where a small brominated loading does the work that a halogen-free mineral system needs 160 to 180 phr of aluminium hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide to achieve. At 160 phr the mineral filler is 61.5 wt% of the compound in the Huber reference formulation, a level that dominates the behaviour of the insulation, while a halogenated system leaves the base polymer largely intact. The complete formulation view sits on additives for wire and cable compounds.
European cable requirements are set by the construction products classification EN 13501-6, tested to EN 50399 and EN 60332, and no DBDPE-specific class is recorded in our source library. Halogenated and halogen-free cable systems are compared on flame retardants for wire and cable.
Construction foams, roofing and textile back-coatings#
DBDPE is used in construction foams, roofing membranes and textile back-coatings, and all three sit inside the sector scope of the REACH restriction that ECHA is preparing for non-polymeric aromatic brominated flame retardants. Construction products and textiles are the two sectors named alongside electrical and electronic equipment in that scope, which means the three uses in this section are covered by one regulatory workstream rather than three.
Textile back-coating places the fire retardant in a polymer binder on the reverse of the fabric, a textile-finishing use rather than a plastics compounding one. Fire requirements for construction plastics are covered on additives for building and construction.
Wood-plastic composites#
DBDPE is also compounded into wood-plastic composites, where the wood flour raises the fire load of an otherwise polyolefin-based profile. No WPC loading for DBDPE is recorded in our source library, and the rest of the WPC package, from coupling agents to biocides, is on additives for wood-plastic composites (WPC).
How Does DBDPE Perform? UL 94, Bromine Content and Thermal Stability#
A DBDPE system reaches UL 94 V-0 at 0.8 mm, the rating that requires a single afterflame of 10 seconds or less, a total of 50 seconds or less over ten flame applications and no flaming drips that ignite the cotton indicator. The V-0 definition also caps afterglow at 30 seconds, and the recorded DBDPE result belongs to a HIPS compound carrying 10.7 wt% bromine and 5 wt% antimony trioxide. The thresholds behind V-0, V-1, V-2 and 5VA are set out on UL 94 flammability ratings.
Ratings below V-0 relax the same clocks rather than changing the test. V-1 and V-2 allow a single afterflame of up to 30 seconds and a total of up to 250 seconds, and V-2 additionally permits flaming drips that ignite the cotton, while the horizontal HB class caps the burn rate at 76 mm per minute below 3 mm. The international equivalents are IEC 60695-11-10 and IEC 60695-11-20, with ISO 9772 and ISO 9773 for cellular and thin flexible specimens. What does the high melting point buy the compounder?
A melting point above 345 °C (653 °F) keeps the additive solid through styrenic and engineering-plastic compounding without blooming to the surface. No limiting oxygen index, cone calorimeter or thermogravimetric onset value for DBDPE is recorded in our source library, so this page names the methods and prints no numbers. ISO 4589-2 and ASTM D2863 are explained on limiting oxygen index (LOI).
Table T4. DBDPE performance indicators and their test methods.
| Indicator | DBDPE value | System | Test method |
|---|---|---|---|
| UL 94 rating | V-0 at 0.8 mm | HIPS with 10.7 wt% Br plus 5 wt% Sb2O3 | IEC 60695-11-10 |
| Bromine content | at least 82 wt% | neat additive | supplier data sheet |
| Melting point | above 345 °C (653 °F) | neat additive | supplier data sheet |
| Limiting oxygen index | not in our source library | n/a | ISO 4589-2, ASTM D2863 |
| Smoke and heat release | not in our source library | n/a | cone calorimeter, ISO 5660 |
| Blooming | none reported | compounded article | qualitative supplier note |
How Does DBDPE Interact with Synergists and Other Additives?#
DBDPE is never used alone: the 3 additives that accompany it in a working compound are antimony trioxide as the gas-phase synergist, a zinc stannate or zinc hydroxystannate where antimony has to be reduced, and PTFE as the anti-drip agent in thin-wall styrenic parts. The three partners are described below.
- Antimony trioxide (CAS 1309-64-4), which converts hydrogen bromide into volatile antimony tribromide and is dosed at 5 wt% in the recorded HIPS system.
- Zinc stannate (CAS 12036-37-2, Flamtard S) and zinc hydroxystannate (CAS 12027-96-2, Flamtard H, William Blythe), which substitute for part of the antimony load and act as smoke suppressants.
- PTFE, which raises melt strength enough to stop flaming drips in thin sections.
Antimony economics are the reason formulators ask about stannate synergists at all. The USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026 record an average antimony price of USD 25 per pound in 2025 against USD 10.24 per pound in 2024, with world mine production estimated at 110,000 tonnes in 2025 and China supplying 40,000 tonnes of it, after Chinese export licensing from August 2024 and an export ban to the United States from December 2024. Antimony replacements are compared on flame retardant synergists.
What Is the Regulatory Status of DBDPE?#
DBDPE is registered under REACH, has been on the Candidate List of Substances of Very High Concern since 5 November 2025 as very persistent and very bioaccumulative, is not yet restricted under REACH Annex XVII, and is prohibited in Canada under the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2025 from 30 June 2026 (status 22 September 2026). Table T5 states each instrument, the DBDPE position and its date.
Table T5. DBDPE regulatory matrix, status 22 September 2026.
| Instrument | DBDPE status | Date or reference |
|---|---|---|
| REACH registration | registered, 10,000 to 100,000 tonnes per year band | ECHA registration |
| REACH Candidate List (SVHC) | listed as vPvB under Article 57(e) | 5 November 2025 |
| REACH Annex XIV (authorisation) | not listed | Authorisation List |
| REACH Annex XVII (restriction) | not restricted; one of 3 mandated SVHCs in the restriction preparation for non-polymeric aromatic BFRs | Commission mandate 11 November 2025 |
| EU POPs Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 and Stockholm Convention | not listed | status 22 September 2026 |
| EU RoHS | not restricted; the PBDE and PBB entries do not cover DBDPE | Directive 2011/65/EU |
| EU Ecodesign Regulation (EU) 2019/2021 | halogenated flame retardants, including DBDPE, banned in the enclosures and stands of electronic displays | from 1 March 2021 |
| EU Regulation (EU) No 10/2011 (food contact) | not recorded on the Union list; being verified | n/a |
| CLP harmonised classification | no harmonised entry recorded; being verified | n/a |
| Canada, Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2025 (SOR/2025-270) | prohibited, with permits and transitions available | registered 12 December 2025, in force 30 June 2026 |
| US TSCA | status being verified | n/a |
| California Proposition 65 | not recorded; being verified | n/a |
| California AB 2998 | falls within the covered class of halogenated flame retardants above 1,000 ppm in juvenile products, mattresses and upholstered furniture | from 1 January 2020 |
| New York and Washington state rules | falls within the covered class of organohalogen flame retardants in electronic display enclosures and stands (New York) and in electric and electronic product casings (Washington) | 1 January 2024; Safer Products rule 2023 |
Four cells stay open because the underlying value is not in our source library. The instruments in this matrix are set out in full on flame retardant regulations.
Is DBDPE an SVHC?#
Yes: ECHA added DBDPE to the REACH Candidate List on 5 November 2025 because it meets the criteria for a very persistent and very bioaccumulative substance under Article 57(e) of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. An SVHC listing is not a ban: it creates information and notification duties, and it marks the substance as a candidate for later authorisation or restriction, but it leaves the substance legal to place on the market. BTBPE and TBPH, two related aromatic brominated flame retardants, reached the same list on 17 January 2023 for the same vPvB reason, which is why all three now sit inside one restriction mandate.
Every additive on the SVHC Candidate List carries its inclusion date and its Article 57 reason on our register.
What duties does the REACH Candidate List entry trigger?#
A Candidate List entry triggers 4 duties for anyone placing DBDPE-containing articles on the EU market: Article 33 communication, Article 7(2) notification, SCIP database notification and a safety data sheet on request. All four are switched on by the same threshold, 0.1 % w/w, and the Court of Justice of the European Union confirmed in case C-106/14 of 10 September 2015 that the threshold applies to each component article of a complex product rather than to the assembled whole.
Table T6. Duties triggered by the DBDPE Candidate List entry.
| Duty | Trigger | Deadline | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Communication to recipients | DBDPE above 0.1 % w/w in an article | immediately on inclusion; consumer requests answered within 45 days | REACH Article 33 |
| Notification to ECHA | DBDPE above 0.1 % w/w and above 1 tonne per year per actor | within 6 months of inclusion, so 5 May 2026 for a 5 November 2025 entry | REACH Article 7(2) |
| SCIP database notification | DBDPE above 0.1 % w/w in an article | in force since 5 January 2021 | Waste Framework Directive Article 9(1)(i) |
| Safety data sheet on request | mixture containing 0.1 % or more DBDPE | on request from a professional recipient | REACH Article 31(3) |
Footnote: the 0.1 % w/w threshold applies per component article following CJEU case C-106/14 of 10 September 2015, so a cable in a housing and the housing itself are assessed separately.
Registration, notification and communication duties under REACH and plastic additives follow from the Candidate List entry, and Article 33 is the one that surprises compounders, because it reaches every recipient from the day of inclusion.
Is DBDPE banned or restricted in the EU?#
No: DBDPE is not restricted under REACH Annex XVII as of 22 September 2026, but a restriction is being prepared: the Commission mandated ECHA on 11 November 2025, the call for evidence ran from 21 January to 18 March 2026, and a draft Annex XV dossier is planned for December 2026. The preparation follows the ECHA flame retardants regulatory strategy of March 2023, which named aromatic brominated flame retardants as restriction candidates, and the ECHA investigation report of 18 December 2024. That report counted about 60 aromatic brominated flame retardants potentially on the EU market, 25 of them registered, more than 40 assessed as PBT or vPvB or likely so, and identified no alternatives for aerospace uses, certain sealants and adhesives, and transparent polycarbonate. The scope and timeline of the restriction of aromatic brominated flame retardants are tracked milestone by milestone.
Everything after the March 2026 call for evidence is pending, and nothing in the preparation makes DBDPE unlawful today. The planned scope covers DBDPE, TBPH and BTBPE as mandated SVHCs plus 19 further aromatic brominated flame retardants under interim assessment, with a broader option reaching 24 non-polymeric substances, across electrical and electronic equipment, construction products and textiles, while polymeric brominated flame retardants stay out of scope. No entry in REACH Annex XVII restrictions covers DBDPE as of 22 September 2026.
Is DBDPE restricted in Canada and the United States?#
Canada goes further than the EU: the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2025 (SOR/2025-270), registered on 12 December 2025 and published in the Canada Gazette Part II on 31 December 2025, add DBDPE to the prohibited list with effect from 30 June 2026, subject to permits and transitional periods. The same instrument adds new prohibitions on Dechlorane Plus. The item number, the exact scope and the transition end dates are not recorded in our source library, so this page states the instrument and the dates only. SOR/2025-270 and the rest of the framework are covered on Canadian regulations for plastic additives.
The United States has no federal restriction on DBDPE recorded in our source library, and its TSCA status is being verified, which is a deliberate gap in the matrix above, not a finding of no action. Section 6(h) actions on brominated flame retardants, including the decaBDE rule revised on 19 November 2024 and effective 21 January 2025, are listed on TSCA and plastic additives.
Three US states regulate DBDPE through class-level rules rather than by name. California AB 2998 bans halogenated and organophosphorus flame retardants above 1,000 ppm in juvenile products, mattresses and upholstered furniture from 1 January 2020; New York bans organohalogen flame retardants in electronic display enclosures and stands from 1 January 2024; and Washington's Safer Products rule has covered organohalogen flame retardants in electric and electronic product casings since 2023. DBDPE falls within the class covered by all three measures, although none of the statutes prints its CAS number. California AB 2998, New York and Washington are compared on US state laws on plastic additives.
Is DBDPE covered by RoHS?#
No: RoHS restricts polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers at 0.1 % per homogeneous material, and DBDPE is neither, so a DBDPE-containing housing can be RoHS compliant. RoHS compliance is not the whole answer for an electronics enclosure, because Regulation (EU) 2019/2021 bans halogenated flame retardants in the enclosures and stands of electronic displays whatever the RoHS position. The PBDE and PBB entries in RoHS and plastic additives name the restricted structures, and neither structure has an ethane bridge.
Is DBDPE Safe? Health and Environmental Profile#
ECHA identified DBDPE as very persistent and very bioaccumulative under Article 57(e) of REACH on 5 November 2025, which is a formal statement about environmental fate, not about human toxicity. That identification is the only formal hazard conclusion this page states, because our source library records no harmonised CLP classification and no ecotoxicology values for DBDPE. What our substance directory does and does not hold is listed below.
- Holds: the vPvB identification of 5 November 2025 under Article 57(e).
- Holds: one peer-reviewed measurement study of DBDPE in consumer articles.
- Does not hold: any LD50, NOAEL, half-life, photodegradation rate or bioaccumulation factor.
- Does not hold: a harmonised classification, a Proposition 65 entry or a food-contact authorisation.
DBDPE returns to consumer goods through recycled plastic. Liu, Brandsma and Schreder, writing in Chemosphere in 2024 (365:143319), screened 203 black household products and found flame retardants in 85 % of the products they analysed, meaning those above 50 ppm bromine, at total flame retardant levels reaching 22,800 mg/kg, with decaBDE, DBDPE, TBPP-TAZ and 2,4,6-TBP among the substances identified; a corrigendum published in Chemosphere in 2025 (370:143903, PMID 39675991) corrected the paper's comparison of the estimated median BDE-209 intake from contaminated utensils, 34,700 ng per day, against the EPA reference dose. Because additives are not chemically bound, they travel with the material rather than with the product, and that route is covered on legacy additives in recycled plastic. The wider exposure literature is summarised on flame retardants and human health.
What Are the Alternatives to DBDPE?#
The 5 main alternatives to DBDPE in styrenics and polyolefins are brominated polystyrene, EBTBP, FR-245, PolyFR and the halogen-free phosphinate and mineral systems, and the dividing line that matters in 2026 is whether the substitute is polymeric. Table T7 compares them on identity, class, molecular weight, Candidate List status and restriction scope.
Table T7. DBDPE and its five alternatives compared.
| Flame retardant | CAS | Class | MW (g/mol) | SVHC | In ABFR restriction scope | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DBDPE | 84852-53-9 | non-polymeric ABFR | 971.2 | yes, 5 November 2025 (vPvB) | yes, mandated | HIPS, ABS, polyolefins |
| decaBDE | 1163-19-5 | PBDE (additive ABFR) | 959.17 | yes, 19 December 2012 (PBT and vPvB) | superseded by the POPs listing | historic HIPS housings |
| Brominated polystyrene | 88497-56-7 | polymeric BFR | not applicable | no | no, polymeric BFRs out of scope | glass-filled PA66 and PBT |
| EBTBP | 32588-76-4 | non-polymeric ABFR | 951.5 | no, as of 22 September 2026 | possible candidate in the 24-substance screening group | HIPS and PC housings needing colour and UV stability |
| FR-245 (TTBP-TAZ) | 25713-60-4 | brominated triazine (non-polymeric ABFR) | 1067.4 | no | not itemised | ABS and HIPS housings |
| PolyFR | 1195978-93-8 | polymeric BFR | about 100,000 | no | no, polymeric | EPS and XPS insulation |
Footnote: the 19 to 24 further aromatic brominated flame retardants in the ECHA screening group are not itemised in a verified source, so absence from this table is not a statement that a substance is outside the restriction.
The options can be filtered by polymer and target rating in the flame retardant selector, which carries this data set across the whole family.
DBDPE vs brominated polystyrene and other polymeric BFRs#
Brominated polystyrene is the structural answer to the DBDPE problem: a molecular weight high enough to keep the bromine in the polymer, which is why polymeric brominated flame retardants sit outside the scope of the REACH restriction being prepared for the non-polymeric ones. Brominated polystyrene (CAS 88497-56-7) works by the same gas-phase route as DBDPE with an antimony synergist, but its chain length prevents blooming and limits bioavailability, and it is not on the Candidate List. Brominated polystyrene keeps its bromine inside a polymer chain, and Albemarle sells it as Saytex HP-3010 and HP-7010 for glass-filled PA66 and PBT, the engineering compounds where thermal stability during compounding decides the choice.
PolyFR is the second polymeric route. It carries 65 % bromine on a chain of about 100,000 g/mol with a softening range of 120 to 140 °C (248 to 284 °F), is sold as Emerald Innovation 3000 by Lanxess, FR-122P by ICL and GreenCrest by Albemarle, and replaced HBCD in expanded and extruded polystyrene insulation. The class as a whole, from brominated polystyrene through PolyFR to the polyphosphonates, is covered on polymeric flame retardants.
DBDPE vs EBTBP and FR-245#
EBTBP and FR-245 are the two non-polymeric brominated alternatives a styrenics compounder reaches for first: EBTBP (CAS 32588-76-4, 951.5 g/mol) for colour and UV stability, FR-245 (CAS 25713-60-4, 67 % bromine, melting point 230 °C) for ABS and HIPS housings. EBTBP is the UV-stable option for coloured housings, with formula C18H4Br8N2O4 and a density of 2.67 g/cm3, sold by Albemarle as Saytex BT-93 and BT-93W, and used in HIPS and polycarbonate housings, polyolefin wire and cable and engineering plastics. It is not on the Candidate List as of 22 September 2026.
FR-245 carries 67 % bromine on a triazine core, with formula C21H6Br9N3O3, a molecular weight of 1067.4 g/mol, a melting point of 230 °C (446 °F) and a 2 % thermogravimetric loss at 360 °C (680 °F), and ICL sells it for ABS and HIPS compounds where it runs with antimony trioxide and a PTFE anti-drip agent. Neither substance is a permanent regulatory escape: both sit inside the screening universe of 24 non-polymeric aromatic brominated flame retardants that ECHA is assessing for PBT and vPvB properties, and the dated "not an SVHC" statement above describes one day, not the future.
DBDPE vs halogen-free systems#
Halogen-free systems replace DBDPE at a cost in loading: 15 wt% of aluminium diethylphosphinate in a high-temperature polyamide, 22 to 30 wt% of an ammonium polyphosphate intumescent in polypropylene, or 160 to 180 phr of aluminium hydroxide in a cable compound, against roughly 8 to 12 wt% for a DBDPE plus antimony system in HIPS. The loading penalty of halogen-free flame retardants is the trade-off against the regulatory risk, paid in stiffness, density, melt flow and cost rather than in fire performance. The 4 halogen-free routes out of a DBDPE formulation are listed below.
- Phosphinates: aluminium diethylphosphinate (AlPi, DEPAL, CAS 225789-38-8, 390.27 g/mol, 23.3 to 24.0 wt% phosphorus, decomposing above 300 °C), about 15 wt% for V-0 at 1.6 and 0.8 mm in PA 6T/66, 15 to 20 wt% as an Exolit OP 1312 blend in glass-filled PA6 and PA66.
- Mineral hydroxides: aluminium trihydroxide (CAS 21645-51-2, water from about 200 °C, 1051 J/g) and magnesium hydroxide (CAS 1309-42-8, stable to about 320 °C, 1316 J/g), at 160 to 180 phr in cable compounds.
- Intumescent phosphorus and nitrogen systems: ammonium polyphosphate at 22 to 30 wt%, or a 2:1 PAPP to MPP one-pack at 21 wt%, for V-0 in polypropylene.
- Polymer substitution to PC/ABS or PPE/HIPS with aryl phosphates such as BDP or RDP, the practical halogen-free V-0 route in styrenics.
The EU FP7 ENFIRO project (grant 226563), concluded in 2012, reported good environmental and health profiles for ammonium polyphosphate, DEPAL, aluminium trihydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, melamine polyphosphate, DOPO, zinc stannate and zinc hydroxystannate, and recorded that RDP and BDP in styrenics produced more smoke than the systems they replaced. Aluminum diethylphosphinate is the best-documented halogen-free substitution in the engineering-plastics range.
Who Manufactures DBDPE? Grades and Suppliers#
Our source library records one named DBDPE producer, Albemarle, which sells it as Saytex 8010 with a bromine content of at least 82 %, alongside the historic Chemtura grade Firemaster 2100 and the Chinese grade designation FR-1410. Albemarle is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, reported 2025 revenue of USD 5.14 billion and owns the Saytex brand; the Firemaster brand passed to Lanxess when the Chemtura acquisition completed on 21 April 2017. No company is recorded in our substance directory behind the FR-1410 designation, and this page names none.
Table T8. DBDPE producers and trade names.
| Producer | Trade name | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albemarle | Saytex 8010 | current | bromine at least 82 %; UL 94 V-0 data in HIPS |
| Chemtura | Firemaster 2100 | historic | the Firemaster brand passed to Lanxess on 21 April 2017 |
| not recorded | FR-1410 | Chinese grade designation | no company recorded in our substance directory |
Buyers should request the supplier's technical data sheet, its safety data sheet and a written statement of the Candidate List status the supplier communicates under Article 33. More producers and their locations sit in the directory of flame retardant manufacturers and suppliers.
How Does DBDPE Fit into the Brominated Flame Retardant Family?#
DBDPE is the volume leader among the non-polymeric aromatic brominated flame retardants, the sub-class that sits between the legacy polybrominated diphenyl ethers and the polymeric brominated flame retardants now being sold as their replacement. Brominated flame retardants as a whole reached a sales volume of 390,000 tonnes in 2011, about 19.7 % of that year's flame retardant market, and analyst estimates put the global flame retardant market at USD 8.1 billion to 9.3 billion in 2025, a spread wide enough to publish as a range. DBDPE leads the non-polymeric aromatic brominated flame retardants by volume, which is why a restriction aimed at that sub-class is a commercial question as well as a regulatory one.
The decaBDE to DBDPE substitution chain#
The substitution chain runs decaBDE to DBDPE to the polymeric brominated flame retardants: decaBDE became an SVHC on 19 December 2012 and a Stockholm Convention pollutant in 2017, DBDPE joined the Candidate List on 5 November 2025, and brominated polystyrene and PolyFR are the polymeric substitutes that the planned EU restriction leaves out of scope. BTBPE and TBPH joined the list between those dates, on 17 January 2023, both for vPvB properties, and both are now mandated substances inside the same restriction preparation as DBDPE.
The decaBDE file continued after its Stockholm listing: the EU sets an unintentional trace contaminant limit of 10 mg/kg for the sum of tetra- to decaBDE under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1482, and the US TSCA section 6(h) rule was revised on 19 November 2024 and took effect on 21 January 2025.
DBDPE production and bromine supply#
China produced 230,000 tonnes of DBDPE between 2006 and 2016, of which 39,000 tonnes left the country inside electrical appliances, while the EU registration sits in the 10,000 to 100,000 tonnes per year band. No customs tariff code for DBDPE is recorded in our source library, so this page prints none.
Bromine supply sets the floor under all of this: the two leading global applications of bromine are brominated flame retardants and clear brine drilling fluids; world production outside the United States was about 400,000 tonnes in 2024 by USGS estimate, of which Israel supplied 140,000 tonnes; and the US import unit value was USD 2.70 per kilogram in 2024, with 83 % of imports coming from Israel. Bromine and antimony feedstock exposure is tracked on flame retardants market and supply risks.
Is DBDPE banned anywhere?#
Yes, in Canada: DBDPE is prohibited under the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2025 from 30 June 2026, with permits and transitional periods available, while in the EU it is an SVHC but not yet restricted (status 22 September 2026). No Stockholm Convention or EU POPs listing covers DBDPE on that date.
Can DBDPE replace decaBDE one-to-one?#
Not by weight: DBDPE carries at least 82 % bromine against decaBDE's ten bromine atoms on a smaller ether backbone of 959.17 g/mol, so a compounder matches the bromine content that the target rating needs rather than the additive loading. No numeric substitution factor is recorded in our source library, and the recorded styrenic target, 10.7 wt% bromine with 5 wt% antimony trioxide for V-0 at 0.8 mm, is stated in bromine rather than in additive for that reason.
Does DBDPE have a CLP classification and an SDS?#
Suppliers provide a safety data sheet for DBDPE as for any traded chemical, and since 5 November 2025 that sheet has had to carry the Candidate List status. A professional recipient of a mixture containing 0.1 % or more DBDPE can request the sheet under Article 31(3) of REACH. The harmonised CLP position is not recorded in our source library and is being verified, so this page states nothing about hazard classes.