Phosphorous-containing aluminum carboxylate salt flame retardants

1. An aluminum carboxylate salt having the following formula: Al[OCO(CH 2 ) n P(O)(OR 1 )(OR 2 )] 3 where R 1 and R 2 are hydrocarbyl groups that can optionally be joined and n is independently an integer between one and four.

2. The aluminum carboxylate salt of claim 1 , where R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from ethyl groups, methyl groups and ring structures where R 1 and R 2 are joined.

3. The aluminum carboxylate salt of claim 1 , where n is selected from one and two.

4. The aluminum carboxylate salt of claim 1 , wherein n is one in each occurrence and R 1 and R 2 are ethyl groups in each occurrence.

5. The aluminum carboxylate salt of claim 1 , further characterized as being in particulate form with an average particle size of ten micrometers or less as determined by light scattering.

6. An article of manufacture comprising a polymer compounded together with the aluminum carboxylate salt of any of the previous claims.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , further characterized by comprising sufficient aluminum carboxylate salt so to contain at least three weight-percent phosphorous based on polymer article weight.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , further characterized by the polymer comprising polymers selected from styrenic and (meth)acrylic polymers.

9. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , further characterized by the polymer defining multiple cells therein so that the article of manufacture is in the form of polymeric foam.

10. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , further characterized by being free of flame retardant synergists.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 6 , further characterized by the concentration of phosphorous in the article of manufacture being less than five weight-percent based on total polymer article weight.