Flame-Retardant Polymer Materials Developed by Reactive Extrusion: Present Status and Future Perspectives

The development of flame retardant polymer materials has two roots, one in materials design, and the other in materials processing. Over recent decades, different types and classes of flame retardant polymer materials have been commercialized to meet safety requirements in the construction, automotive, and coatings industries. In the vast majority of cases, the design and fabrication of new materials presenting low fire hazards could be obtained through the incorporation of one, two or more flame retardants with similar or different natures into polymers. Nevertheless, the presence of these new phases, often used at high loading levels, usually impact the polymer’s other functional properties, such as mechanical, aging and transparency. These limitations could be partially or totally overcome using reactive extrusion, which is a promising process for developing new polymers or modifying the chemical structure of existing ones. Amongst other possibilities, reactive extrusion can be used for enhancing the fire behavior of existing polymers or for the synthesis of new ones presenting inherent flame retardant properties. In recent years, several new flame retardant polymers have been developed by reactive extrusion, but these developments have not been systematically described with regard to their technical circumstances, properties, and commercial potential. This short review attempts to overview and classify the available reports on the development of flame-retardant polymeric materials through reactive extrusion processes.