Silicon‐Based Flame Retardants

Silicon based materials, in particular oxides, tend to be inherently flame retardant materials due to the fact that they can form ceramics/glasses when they are exposed to heat and flames. This has led to the use of polymeric materials like silicones to be used as flame retardant materials, and, has led to use of silicon-based materials to be added to polymers to impart fire protection properties. This chapter will cover the chemistry of these materials, how they impart fire protection/flame retardancy, and how they get used today. Current research trends in this class of materials organized by chemical type will also be discussed.