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Updated: Feb 15, 2026

Laboratory-determined Phosphorus Flux from Lake Sediments as a Measure of Internal Phosphorus Loading
Published on: March 6, 2014
Molecular Firefighting-How Modern Phosphorus Chemistry Can Help Solve the Challenge of Flame Retardancy
Maria M Velencoso1, Alexander Battig2, Jens C Markwart1,3
1Physical Chemistry of Polymers, Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Ackermannweg 10, 55128, Mainz, Germany.
Abstract:
The ubiquity of polymeric materials in daily life comes with an increased fire risk, and sustained research into efficient flame retardants is key to ensuring the safety of the populace and material goods from accidental fires. Phosphorus, a versatile and effective element for use in flame retardants, has the potential to supersede the halogenated variants that are still widely used today: current formulations employ a variety of modes of action and methods of implementation, as additives or as reactants, to solve the task of developing flame-retarding polymeric materials. Phosphorus-based flame retardants can act in both the gas and condensed phase during a fire. This Review investigates how current phosphorus chemistry helps in reducing the flammability of polymers, and addresses the future of sustainable, efficient, and safe phosphorus-based flame-retardants from renewable sources.
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