Xiaolang Chen
Siqi Huo2
Jun Sun
Jing Zhang- 1Key Laboratory of Advanced Materials Technology Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, China
- 2Centre for Future Materials, University of Southern Queensland, Springfield, SPF, Australia
- 3State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
- 4Materials Design and Engineering Department, Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, Beijing, China
Editorial on the Research Topic
Recent advances in flame retardant polymeric materials and composites
Introduction
Polymeric materials and their composites have been extensively utilized in critical engineering sectors including construction, transportation, and electronics, etc. However, the safety performance of these materials, especially flame retardancy, is crucial for sustainable development. The urgent demand is propelling flame retardant science and technology into a new phase of innovation, resulting in numerous novel material and technologies that require systematic summarization and integration. Therefore, this Research Topic seeks to synthesize the latest progress in flame-retardant polymeric materials and composites, covering the following three key aspects:
• Development of novel flame-retardant materials
• Modification strategies for flame-retardant materials and polymer matrix
• Integration of flame-retardant polymeric materials with machine learning
Development of novel flame-retardant materials
The design of novel flame-retardant systems compatible with diverse polymer matrixes constitutes a major research thrust. Chen et al. (2023) developed a self-assembled flame retardant system (HCCP@EG) using expandable graphite (EG) and hexachlorocyclotriphosphazene (HCCP) to enhance the flame retardancy of rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF). The resulting network structure and synergistic effects substantially improve thermal stability and char formation, offering a straightforward strategy for producing RPUF products with enhanced fire safety. Li et al. (2024) synthesized cobalt-doped nanosheet flame retardants (PAMA-Co) with excellent catalytic performance, which effectively suppresses the “popcorn effect” of EG and improves both safety and practicality in polypropylene (PP). From an environmental sustainability, Tang et al. (2025) repurposed lanthanum carbonate (La2O2CO3) intercalated kaolinite waste after phosphate adsorption (La2O2CO3-Kaol@P) to protect epoxy resin (EP). This approach induces the formation of nano-to micro-scale dual carbon layers that inhibits the degradation of polymer, achieving precision enhancement in flame retardancy and enabling interdisciplinary application.
Modification strategies for flame-retardant materials and polymer matrix
Although the incorporation of flame retardants can enhance flame resistance, it often compromises the mechanical properties of composites due to interfacial compatibility Research Topic. Researchers are therefore continuously exploring modification strategies to balance these properties. Faraz systematically investigated the synergistic effects of organic and inorganic fillers, halloysite nanotubes (HNT), magnesium hydroxide (MHO), and chitosan infused ammonium polyphosphate (CAP), on both flame retardancy and mechanical properties of vinyl ester/flax composites. It is revealed that CAP and MHO contribute significantly to both properties, while HNT has negligible effects on enhancement of flame retardance but shows greater effect in deteriorating the tensile properties. Chen et al. adopted a chemical modification strategy using polymeric methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (PAPI) as a coupling agent to construct cross-linked structures between bamboo fiber (BF) and stereo-complex crystal polylactic acid (SC-PLA). This method balances mechanical performance with heat resistance, accompanied by a reduced ecological toxicity at specific formulation ratios via life cycle assessment. Ran et al. introduced reactive epoxy groups to address the low compatibility of aluminum diethylphosphinate (ADP) and melamine pyrophosphate (MPP) flame retardants with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) under humid and hot conditions. The resulting composites (PBT/EP@FR), fabricated by straightforward reactive extrusion, maintained satisfactory mechanical and flame-retardant properties even after hygrothermal aging, demonstrating broad application prospects in electronics and new energy vehicles.
Integration of flame-retardant polymeric materials with machine learning
With the advancement of data-driven approaches, machine learning has opened new avenues for the prediction of flame-retardant properties and the optimization of material formulation. Zhang et al. established a multivariate nonlinear regression model, gradient boosting regression tree model, and combined model to predict the thermal protection performance of flame-retardant cotton fabrics using fewer input variables. This work provides valuable tools and methodologies for evaluating flame-retardant cotton fabric, facilitating the promotion and application of the combined model at the same time. Wang et al. (2024) employed multivariate linear regression (MLR) model and hierarchical stacking algorithms to interpretable model capable of quantifying gas- and condensed-phase contributions to flame retardancy, achieving high-precision predictions pf flame retardancy. In addition, Xiao et al. (2023) employed a Random Forest algorithm to build a predictive model for the flame-retardant properties of metal hydroxide-based polymer composites, providing accurate performance evaluation and theoretical guidance for formulation optimization.
In summary, the research highlighted in this Research Topic provides complementary perspectives on the development of flame-retardant polymers and composites, ranging from material development to optimization strategies. These insights are expected to inspire further innovation and foster a virtuous cycle of innovation, advancing the field toward enhanced safety and sustainability.
Author contributions
XC: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review and editing. SH: Data curation, Formal Analysis, Resources, Writing – original draft. JS: Formal Analysis, Methodology, Supervision, Writing – review and editing. JZ: Data curation, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – original draft.
Funding
The author(s) declared that financial support was received for this work and/or its publication. This work is supported by National Nature Science Foundation of China (52473086, 52403064), the Opening Project of State Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials, Sichuan University (sklapm2025-3-03), and Science and Technology Project of Sichuan (2023YFH0063).
Conflict of interest
The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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References
Chen, Y., Bai, Z., Xu, X., Guo, J., Chen, X., Hsu, S. L., et al. (2023). Phosphonitrile decorating expandable graphite as a high-efficient flame retardant for rigid polyurethane foams. Polymer 283, 126268. doi:10.1016/j.polymer.2023.126268
Li, R., Chen, Y., Lian, H., Guo, J., Chen, X., Li, J., et al. (2024). Efficient flame retardancy of polypropylene by cobalt ions doped phytate melamine synergized with expandable graphite. Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 230, 111054. doi:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2024.111054
Tang, W., Liang, G., Zhang, A., Cao, Z., Xiong, X., Fu, D., et al. (2025). Precision improvement of flame retardancy of epoxy resin using clay-based waste after phosphorus fixation. Chem. Eng. J. 552, 167642. doi:10.1016/j.cej.2025.167642
Wang, R., Fu, T., Yang, Y., Wang, X., and Wang, Y. (2024). Deeper insights into flame retardancy of polymers by interpretable, quantifiable, yet accurate machine-learning model. Polym. Degrad. Stabil. 230, 110981. doi:10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2024.110981
Keywords: fire safety, flame retardants, modification, polymer, synergistic effect
Citation: Chen X, Huo S, Sun J and Zhang J (2026) Editorial: Recent advances in flame retardant polymeric materials and composites. Front. Mater. 13:1779889. doi: 10.3389/fmats.2026.1779889
Received: 03 January 2026; Accepted: 13 January 2026;
Published: 26 January 2026.
Edited and reviewed by:
Lei Zhu, Case Western Reserve University, United StatesCopyright © 2026 Chen, Huo, Sun and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Xiaolang Chen, Y2hlbnhsNjEyQHNpbmEuY29t; Jun Sun, c3VuakBtYWlsLmJ1Y3QuZWR1LmNu