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Flame-Retardant Polymeric Materials

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 783

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada (CIQA), Departamento de Procesos de Transformación, Saltillo 25294, Coahuila, Mexico
Interests: flame retardant polymers; heterocycles; inorganic fillers; polymeric compounds; functional polymers

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, products made from polymeric materials are present in various fields with diverse applications, such as electronics, construction, furniture, transportation, packaging, etc. However, for these applications, it is necessary to improve the fire safety of polymeric materials, which has become a major concern in the materials science and engineering community.

Undoubtedly, improving the fire retardancy of polymers is a cutting-edge topic in the field of materials science and technology. Due to environmental concerns, some halogenated flame retardants have been gradually phased out. In this context, sustainable, environmentally friendly, and high-performance flame retardants, as well as flame retardant techniques, are in high demand.

This Special Issue on "Flame-Retardant Polymeric Materials" will compile a variety of emerging new flame retardants, new flame retardant techniques, and some fundamental research or application studies in the field of flame retardant materials.

Potential topics include but are not restricted to the following:

  • New flame retardants and flame retardant polymers;
  • Fire behaviors and flame retardancy mechanisms;
  • Fire-fighting nanotechnology (nanofillers, nanocoatings, etc.);
  • Regulation, testing, toxicity, and environmental issues;
  • New flame retardant techniques and approaches.

Dr. Luciano da Silva
Guest Editor

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

  • novel flame retardants
  • synthesis and characterization
  • fire behaviors
  • flame retardant mechanisms
  • nanomaterials
  • polymer composites
  • polymer nanocomposite

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 27675 KB  
Article
Synthesis of Carbon-Zinc Oxide Microspheres Decorated with Ammonium Polyphosphate (APP) for Synergistic Flame Retardancy in Polypropylene Composites
by Juan J. Mendoza, Jesús R. Campos, Ramón Enrique Díaz de León-Gómez, Luciano da Silva, Antonio Serguei Ledezma-Pérez, Arxel de León and Edgar Nazareo Cabrera-Álvarez
Polymers 2025, 17(21), 2878; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17212878 - 29 Oct 2025
Viewed by 614
Abstract
A key strategy for improving polypropylene (PP) fire safety involves developing composites with enhanced flame-retardant properties. In this study, novel flame-retardant systems were developed through the sustainable synthesis of carbon microspheres (CMSs), carbon-zinc oxide microspheres (CZnMSs), and zinc oxide microspheres (ZnMSs). These microspheres [...] Read more.
A key strategy for improving polypropylene (PP) fire safety involves developing composites with enhanced flame-retardant properties. In this study, novel flame-retardant systems were developed through the sustainable synthesis of carbon microspheres (CMSs), carbon-zinc oxide microspheres (CZnMSs), and zinc oxide microspheres (ZnMSs). These microspheres were subsequently combined with ammonium polyphosphate (APP) to form synergistic flame-retardant grenades (FRGs). The FRGs were characterized using XRD, FTIR, UV-Vis, TGA, and SEM, and then incorporated into a PP matrix via melt mixing to produce PP-FRG composites. The composites were systematically evaluated for chemical interactions (FTIR), thermal stability and crystallinity (TGA/DSC), morphology (SEM), flammability (UL-94 and cone calorimetry), and mechanical performance (flexural testing). The results demonstrated that the incorporation of FRG in low concentrations (10 wt.%) led to a synergistic effect, improving both fire resistance and mechanical performance of PP-FRG composites compared to neat PP. Among all formulations, the PP-CZnMS/APP composite exhibited the most balanced behavior, combining effective flame inhibition, enhanced char formation, and improved structural integrity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Flame-Retardant Polymeric Materials)
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