Polymeric materials have become essential components of daily life, celebrated for their extensive applications and superior performance. Despite their benefits, a major drawback is their inherent flammability, which poses significant environmental and health hazards by releasing toxic smoke during burning. This issue has led to periodic severe fire incidents caused by such materials. Recent endeavors in academia and industry have thus focused on enhancing the flame retardancy of these polymers to mitigate these risks. Additionally, with smoke inhalation being a leading cause of death in fire accidents, there has been a push to improve smoke suppression technologies within polymeric materials. Although notable progress has been made, achieving optimal fire safety in polymer materials continues to present considerable challenges.

This Research Topic aims to serve as a repository for cutting-edge research into improving the fire safety and flame retardancy of polymeric materials. Considering the variety of fire hazards associated with polymers, such as extreme melt dripping, smoke production, release of toxic gases during combustion, and the below-par efficiency of existing fire retardants—compounded by growing environmental concerns—this initiative encourages contributions that explore these issues through theoretical approaches, experimental research, and numerical simulations. Furthermore, submissions that explore the application of flame-retardant technologies in smart materials, including uses in fire sensors and fire-safe polymer electrolytes, are highly sought after.

To explore this topic further, submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Development of innovative flame retardants, such as bio-based, nano-engineered, hybrid, and intumescent materials.
• Techniques for fabricating flame-retardant polymer fibers, fabrics, or resins.
• Advanced methods for characterizing and understanding flame retardant mechanisms.
• Focus on the recyclability of flame retardant polymers, composites, or textiles.
• Applications across diverse fields including road pavements, building materials, tunnels, and mining environments.

By collecting research in these domains, this Topic aims to advance knowledge and application of flame retardancy in polymers, achieving safer material solutions across various industries.

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Frontiers in Materials

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