An urgent need is to reduce the flammability of polymers and manage their toxic thermal decomposition products. Although conventional halogenated, metallic and phosphorus-based flame retardants (FRs) proved effective, they are known to cause major damage to human health and the environment. Containing carbon nanomaterials as new flame retarding additives, polymer nanocomposites have displayed high flame retardance, mechanical performance and electrical and thermal conductivity – a feat unmatched by conventional FRs. In this article we review very recent advances in carbon nanomaterials as FRs for polymers and composites as well as new understanding of the underpinning flame retarding mechanisms. Carbon nanomaterials, i.e. graphene, carbon nanotubes and carbon black are discussed as alternatives to conventional fillers for their effectiveness in improving the polymers' flammability, mechanical properties and conductivity. The synergy between carbon-based nanofillers and conventional FRs is comprehensively reviewed, concluding that adding small fractions of carbon nanomaterials with conventional FRs into polymers can synergistically improve flame retardancy resulting multifunctionalities such as thermal and electrical conductivity, without compromising the polymers’ mechanical performance. Combining carbon nanomaterials, chemically or physically, with other compounds or nanoadditives containing P and N elements can create significant synergies and thus opportunities to develop multifunctional polymers and composites with superior flame-retardant properties.

迫切需要减少聚合物的可燃性并控制其有毒的热分解产物。尽管常规的卤代，金属和磷基阻燃剂（FRs）证明是有效的，但已知它们会对人体健康和环境造成重大损害。聚合物纳米复合材料包含碳纳米材料作为新型阻燃添加剂，显示出高阻燃性，机械性能以及导电和导热性，这是传统阻燃剂无法比拟的。在本文中，我们回顾了碳纳米材料作为聚合物和复合材料阻燃剂的最新进展，以及对基础阻燃机理的新认识。碳纳米材料，即石墨烯，讨论了碳纳米管和炭黑作为常规填料的替代品，以提高聚合物的可燃性，机械性能和导电性。全面审查了碳基纳米填料和常规FR之间的协同作用，得出结论认为，将少量的具有常规FR的碳纳米材料添加到聚合物中可以协同提高阻燃性，从而在不影响聚合物机械性能的情况下提高诸如导热性和导电性等多功能性。将碳纳米材料以化学或物理方式与包含P和N元素的其他化合物或纳米添加剂结合在一起，可以产生显着的协同作用，因此有机会开发出具有优异阻燃性能的多功能聚合物和复合材料。