Nanocomposite fire retardants ? a review

Most fire retardant nanocomposites are made from layered silicates and organic polymers, a variety of methods are used in their synthesis. The mechanism for the fire retardancy of these composites is generally considered to be due to the structure of the char formed during combustion, which enables the char to thermally insulate the polymer and inhibit the formation and escape of volatiles during combustion. Fire retardant nanocomposites require relatively low concentrations of silicates for activity, resulting in low additional costs and weight. Improvements in the bulk physical properties of the polymer can be additional advantages over traditional fire retardants. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.