Engineering bioinspired fire-retardant coatings for general fire protection

Fire-retardant coatings have demonstrated effective fire protection for building materials ranging from flammable rigid polyurethane foam, timber, and steel. However, limited efficiency and poor interface adhesion limit their real-world applications. Recently, we have developed a series of bioinspired polymeric and ceramifiable organic-inorganic hybrid coatings. Upon exposure to flame, the coating exhibits a mechanically robust, structurally integral char layer on the substrates. With around 200-600 μm in thickness, such coating exhibits an ability to make polymer foam self-extinguish rapidly, a desired UL-94 V-0 rating; and to slow down the burning of solid wood, and to provide exceptional thermal protection for steel structures. This series of work provides a universal strategy for creating fire-retardant coatings for diverse fire protection applications.