Flame Retardant Polyurethane Nanocomposites

Abstract

The development of polyurethane (PU) has been greatly limited because of its flammable nature. Nanomaterials are widely used in various fields because of their unique nanoscale structure and high thermal stability, especially showing remarkable advantage in flame retardancy. The introduction of different nanomaterials, including zero-, one-, and two-dimensional nanoparticles, can effectively enhance the flame-retardant and mechanical properties of PU by using suitable preparation approaches. To further improve the overall properties, nanomaterials are commonly functionalized by various organics via chemical functionalization for achieving excellent dispersion and improved compatibility. In this chapter, the surface engineering strategies of nanomaterials and the fabrication of PU nanocomposites were described and the flame-retardant mechanism was discussed in detail.