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Polymers
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Fire Safety in Polymeric Composite Materials: Design, Simulation, and Testing
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Fire Safety in Polymeric Composite Materials: Design, Simulation, and Testing

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Analysis and Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 4446

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dongxu Ouyang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Safety Science and Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, China
Interests: lithium-ion battery safety; high-voltage electrolyte
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Wei Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
Interests: fire; flame retardance; biopolymers and renewable polymers; polymer matrix composites; layer-by-layer polyelectrolyte deposition; organic-inorganic hybrid composites; computational simulation; numerical analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue focuses on advancing the understanding and application of fire-safe materials in various scenarios. This issue invites contributions on innovative fire-retardant designs, hybrid composite systems, and state-of-the-art simulation tools to address fire safety challenges. Topics include the synthesis and characterization of polymeric and hybrid materials with enhanced flame-retardant properties, predictive fire modelling techniques, and experimental testing methodologies. By bridging the gap between material science, engineering design, and fire safety testing, this Special Issue aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and provide insights into sustainable and efficient solutions for fire prevention in critical applications, ensuring safety, durability, and environmental sustainability.

Dr. Dongxu Ouyang
Dr. Wei Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • fire safety
  • polymeric materials
  • composites
  • flame retardants
  • fire-retardant design
  • fire modelling and simulation
  • fire testing methodologies
  • thermal stability
  • sustainable fire-retardant materials
  • toxicity and smoke suppression

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 4324 KB  
Article
Single-Step Phytate Flame-Retardant Coatings for Cotton, Polyester and Cotton/Polyester Blends
by Olga Zilke, Dennis Plohl, Martin Ploenißen, Alaa Salma, Dominic Danielsiek, Mariia Kuznetsova, Karlheinz Bretz, Philip Moerbitz, Jochen S. Gutmann and Klaus Opwis
Polymers 2026, 18(7), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18070819 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 534
Abstract
Scalable halogen-free flame-retardant textile finishes remain challenging, particularly regarding laundering durability and industrially viable processing. Here, two phytate flame retardants, poly(vinylammonium) phytate (PVAmPA, partly bio-based) and chitosan phytate (ChiPA, fully bio-based), were applied to cotton (CO), polyester (PET), and a CO/PET blend by [...] Read more.
Scalable halogen-free flame-retardant textile finishes remain challenging, particularly regarding laundering durability and industrially viable processing. Here, two phytate flame retardants, poly(vinylammonium) phytate (PVAmPA, partly bio-based) and chitosan phytate (ChiPA, fully bio-based), were applied to cotton (CO), polyester (PET), and a CO/PET blend by a single-step, binder-assisted coating. Both coatings suppressed surface flaming in ISO 15025 on all substrates. Although laundering at 40 °C caused systematically higher wash-off for ChiPA, surface flame suppression was retained for most coated fabrics, with the exception of ChiPA on CO and PVAmPA on PET. Thermogravimetric analysis showed earlier decomposition and increased residue formation for both systems, with the residue at 700 °C increasing from 4.5% to 18.2% for CO_PVAmPA and from 4.5% to 15.2% for CO_ChiPA. In microscale combustion calorimetry, PVAmPA reduced the heat release capacity (HRC) from 251 to 168 J/(g·K) for CO/PET, whereas ChiPA showed its strongest effect on PET, reducing HRC from 413 to 222 J/(g·K). Gas-phase analyses indicated enhanced water release for both coatings and additional NH3 evolution for PVAmPA. Overall, binder-assisted, single-step phytate coatings provide a scalable route to halogen-free flame retardancy, with PVAmPA showing the most robust overall durability and ChiPA offering a fully bio-based alternative with strong substrate-dependent performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire Safety in Polymeric Composite Materials: Design, Simulation, and Testing)
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15 pages, 7693 KB  
Article
Effects of Overload Current on the Ignition and Burning Hazards of Polyethylene-Insulated Wires
by Heran Song, Qingwen Lin, Zhurong Dong, Songfeng Liang, Ruichao Wei, Zhanyu Li, Shenshi Huang, Yiting Yan and Yang Li
Polymers 2026, 18(5), 641; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18050641 - 5 Mar 2026
Viewed by 458
Abstract
To quantitatively elucidate the effects of overload current on the ignition and burning hazards of polyethylene-insulated wires, 2.5 mm2 polyethylene-insulated copper wires used commercially were tested in an electrical fire fault simulation system. Experiments were conducted to study the evolution of overloads, [...] Read more.
To quantitatively elucidate the effects of overload current on the ignition and burning hazards of polyethylene-insulated wires, 2.5 mm2 polyethylene-insulated copper wires used commercially were tested in an electrical fire fault simulation system. Experiments were conducted to study the evolution of overloads, ignition, and burning. The entire process, from insulation smoking and ignition to sustained burning and final extinction driven by wire fusing, was recorded using synchronized digital and high-speed imaging. Video-based measurements were used to extract the following: smoking emission duration, ignition time, burning duration, maximum flame height, and segmented flame width. The results show that stable ignition and sustained burning occur when the overload current is greater than or equal to 180 A. As the current increases, ignition occurs earlier, while the smoking stage becomes shorter but exhibits nonmonotonic fluctuations. The burning duration shows a staged response. It first increases, then decreases toward a relatively stable level. This reflects the competition between enhanced Joule heating and accelerated wire melting and fusing. Maximum flame height and segmented flame width vary nonmonotonically with current, and the segmented flame width peaks at 200 A. A multi-indicator fire hazard evaluation framework was established and an entropy-weight TOPSIS method was applied to integrate the quantification and ranking. The overall fire hazard is greatest at 200 A. These findings provide experimental insight into overload-induced ignition and combustion behavior and contribute to a quantitative understanding of fire hazard evolution in overloaded electrical wires. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire Safety in Polymeric Composite Materials: Design, Simulation, and Testing)
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Review

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28 pages, 6064 KB  
Review
Advances in Wood Processing, Flame-Retardant Functionalization, and Multifunctional Applications
by Yatong Fang, Kexuan Chen, Lulu Xu, Yan Zhang, Yi Xiao, Yao Yuan and Wei Wang
Polymers 2025, 17(19), 2677; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17192677 - 3 Oct 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2914
Abstract
Wood is a renewable, carbon-sequestering, and structurally versatile material that has supported human civilization for millennia and continues to play a central role in advancing sustainable development. Although its low density, high specific strength, and esthetic appeal make it highly attractive, its intrinsic [...] Read more.
Wood is a renewable, carbon-sequestering, and structurally versatile material that has supported human civilization for millennia and continues to play a central role in advancing sustainable development. Although its low density, high specific strength, and esthetic appeal make it highly attractive, its intrinsic flammability presents significant challenges for safety-critical uses. This review offers a comprehensive analysis that uniquely integrates three key domains, covering advanced processing technologies, flame-retardant functionalization strategies, and multifunctional applications. Clear connections are drawn between processing approaches such as delignification, densification, and nanocellulose extraction and their substantial influence on improving flame-retardant performance. The review systematically explores how these engineered wood substrates enable more effective fire-resistant systems, including eco-friendly impregnation methods, surface engineering techniques, and bio-based hybrid systems. It further illustrates how combining processing and functionalization strategies allows for multifunctional applications in architecture, transportation, electronics, and energy devices where safety, durability, and sustainability are essential. Future research directions are identified with a focus on creating scalable, cost-effective, and environmentally compatible wood-based materials, positioning engineered wood as a next-generation high-performance material that successfully balances structural functionality, fire safety, and multifunctionality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fire Safety in Polymeric Composite Materials: Design, Simulation, and Testing)
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