The Future of Flame Retardant Polymers – Unmet Needs and Likely New Approaches

Thermoplastic and thermoset polymers in use today have fire risk and fire hazard associated with them that is not always well known to the public or material scientists. Recent events in the United Kingdom and California show that, if not considered carefully, use of flammable materials can result in catastrophic losses of both life and property. Further, current understanding has shown that simply adding flame retardant chemicals to polymers to address fire hazard and risk is not sufficient, as there is an increased demand from consumers, government, and industry for improved durability, recyclability, fire safety, and reduced environmental impact. These new requirements are beginning to change flame retardant chemistry for polymers, which has been mostly unchanged for the past 50 years. Existing flame retardant chemical technology will be briefly reviewed to show what is available today, followed by a discussion of potential future flame retardant approaches. Future possibilities such as polymeric, reactive, inorganic, and transition metal chemistries will be surveyed and discussed, with emphasis on what is not fully understood or validated for commercial use or future research and development investment. Current unmet fire safety needs of polymers, based upon current information and technological trends, will also be discussed.