Recent Progress in Flame Retardant Technology for Polycarbonate: Advancing From Halogenated to Halogen‐Free and <scp>PFAS</scp> ‐Free Solutions

ABSTRACT Polycarbonate (PC), a high‐performance engineering thermoplastic widely used in aerospace, electronics, and automotive industries, has inherent flammability. Traditional halogen‐based flame retardants and PFAS‐derived anti‐dripping agents (e.g., PTFE) pose environmental and health risks via hazardous emissions and bioaccumulation. This review examines recent advances in transitioning PC to halogen‐free, PFAS‐free flame‐retardant technologies. Key PFAS‐free innovations highlighted include: (1) synergistic multi‐element systems and bio‐derived additives that achieve UL‐94 V‐0 ratings at low loadings; (2) copolymerization and multilayer co‐extrusion technologies that enable PFAS‐free anti‐dripping performance. The review further identifies unresolved challenges (e.g., balancing transparency/strength with flame‐retardant efficiency, scaling bio‐based additives) and future pathways (machine learning for material discovery, plasma surface functionalization). Ultimately, it emphasizes that cross‐sector collaboration (academia‐industry) is essential to harmonize fire safety, environmental sustainability, and material functionality—providing an actionable framework for developing next‐generation high‐performance PC aligned with global sustainability goals.