Flame retarding performance of elastomeric nanocomposites: A review

This article presents a comprehensive review about previous research done for the development of elastomeric nanocomposites (NCs) based flame retardant (FR) materials. Conservatively, a single fire retardant element can achieve fire retardancy, but we report about combinations of elastomers and various fire retardant materials at nanoscale, including layered materials and inorganic materials for the development of polymeric and elastomeric NC based FR materials. We have critically reviewed and summarized the surface morphological structure, organic treatment for surface modification, dispersion phenomenon, fire retardant action and the flame-retarding properties of various elastomeric NCs. We also highlight the fundamentals and combustion mechanism of fire retardancy tests, which have been used to describe fire behavior, nature and modes of FR materials and their synergistic effects. We have focused particularly on elastomeric NCs filled with specific, finely dispersed different nanofillers, which will undoubtedly pave the way for development of FR materials showing physico-mechanical and enhanced FR performance. This review article will objectively explore and give new direction for the development of the “FR materials” which would be more accessible to the emerging field of materials science.