Polymer/polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanocomposites: An overview of fire retardance

A review is presented of the recent developments concerning the use of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) for designing polymer nanocomposites endowed with enhanced fire retardancy. Emphasis is placed on the scientific and technological advances in the use of POSS as fire retardants, as well as on the achievements and challenges associated to the exploitation of POSS either alone or in combination with conventional fire retardants to provide the required fire retardancy to polymer materials. Polymer/POSS nanocomposites show a great potential to provide materials characterized by improved fire retardancy together with superior physical properties and environmental neutrality. Achievements obtained with POSS in fire retardancy are presented for the different types of polymer materials and critically discussed, especially in terms of the modes of fire retardant action, in the attempt to reveal attractive strategies for successful development of the next generation of polymer/POSS materials and applications.