Flame Retardant Polymer–Halloysite Nanocomposites

Abstract

The flame retardancy of polymers is an important issue in their practical applications. The use of various nanofillers as flame retardants in polymer matrices have drawn considerable attention. In this chapter, the flame retardancy of naturally occurring halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) towards polymer is first demonstrated and the underlying role of HNTs during combustion is highlighted. Then the factors related to the dispersion of HNTs, modification of HNTs, and structure of the nanocomposites that affect the flame retardancy properties of the polymer–HNTs nanocomposites are discussed. After that, the synergistic effects of the combination of HNTs with other flame retardant compounds (intumescent flame retardant system and other nanofillers) in improving the fire retardancy properties of the nanocomposites are reviewed. Finally, the flame retardancy of other clays (montmorillonite, vermiculite, sepiolite, kaolinite) in polymers and the comparison between HNTs and other clays are briefly illustrated.