又称难燃剂,耐火剂或防火剂:赋予易燃聚合物难燃性的功能性助剂;依应用方式分为添加型阻燃剂和反应型阻燃剂。根据组成,添加型阻燃剂主要包括无机阻燃剂、卤系阻燃剂(有机氯化物和有机溴化物)、磷系阻燃剂(赤磷、磷酸酯及卤代磷酸酯等)和氮系阻燃剂等。反应型阻燃剂多为含反应性官能团的有机卤和有机磷的单体。此外,具有抑烟作用的钼化合物、锡化合物和铁化合物等亦属阻燃剂的范畴。主要适用于有阻燃需求的塑料,延迟或防止塑料尤其是高分子类塑料的燃烧。使其点燃时间增长,点燃自熄,难以点燃。 A fire retardant is a substance other than water that reduces flammability of fuels or delays their combustion.[1] This typically refers to chemical retardants[2] but may also include substances that work by physical action, such as cooling the fuels; examples of these include fire-fighting foams and fire-retardant gels. The name fire retardant may also be applied to substances used to coat an object,[3] such as a spray retardant to prevent Christmas trees from burning.[4] Fire retardants are commonly used in fire fighting.
Home fires damage about 400,000 homes, and cause just under 7 billion US dollars in direct damage annually in the United States.[5] Because of the importance of prevention, fire retardation has become a very notable industry.