CALIFON, N.J. -- After two years of preliminary steps in North America, the Phosphorus, Inorganic and Nitrogen Flame Retardants Association (Pinfa) has officially launched a North American chapter.

Pinfa started as an offshoot of the European Chemical Industry Council. Two years ago the Society of Plastics Engineers hosted the group to help it establish a foothold with companies in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and last year Clariant Corp. included Pinfa in its exhibit at the NPE trade show in Orlando, Fla.

Now Pinfa-North America has officially launched in Califon, N.J., and the group is planning its first North American workshop, set for April 4 in San Jose, Calif.

The workshop, "Meeting Flame Resistance Requirements for Greener Electronics," is designed to bring together flame retardant additive suppliers, compounders/formulators and plastics manufacturers with consumer electronic original equipment manufacturers, government regulators and non-governmental organizations.

Marc Lebel, CEO of FRX Polymers Inc. and chairman of Pinfa-NA said in a news release: "the importance that flame retardant plastics play in the green electronics initiative is very significant. This conference is great opportunity to learn what the needs are and how they can be met."

Pinfa-NA members include Clariant Additives, FRX Polymers, Nabaltec, J.M.Huber Corp., PolyOne Corp., Network Polymers Inc. and Applied Minerals Inc.