Fire‐Retardant Polymer Composites for Electrical Engineering

The electrical engineering polymeric composites are subjected to heat accumulation due to the miniatured equipment or circuit shortcut. The flame ignition and spreading hazard initiated by the excessively higher temperature regulatorily propels the fire‐retardant treatments. This chapter engages in the selection, fire performance, as well as fire mode of action in specific applications i.e. electrical cables, electrical appliances, and glass fiber‐reinforced composites. In terms of cables and wires, halogen‐free and low‐smoke fire‐retardant recipes exemplified by metal hydroxides represent the developing direction. In parallel, the fire‐retardant treatment for electrical appliance composites involves phosphorous‐containing compounds and silicon‐derived structure. The sieving of proper fire retardants complies with the basic rules toward the balanced property of fire retardancy, mechanical and physical property. The glass fiber‐reinforced polymer composites representing high‐performance electrical engineering utilization concentrates on the key search of “wick” removal strategies. In perspectives, various fire‐retardant additives and strategies enable to impart electrical engineering polymeric composites with satisfied fire retardancy, which paves promising road for advanced fields, e.g. 5G.