Abstract
This work systematizes published data on the thermal stability and fire resistance of vinyl ester resin (VER)-based composites filled with various inorganic and organic flame retardants, including aluminum trihydrate Al (OH)₃, Mg (OH)₂, dimethyl methylphosphonate immobilized on diatomaceous earth (DE@DMMP), ammonium polyphosphate, expandable graphite, montmorillonite, zinc borate, phosphate esters, and hybrid fillers. The study describes the synthesis and curing methods for ten representative VER composite systems and presents a comparative analysis of data from thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, heat release rate, and the oxygen index. It is shown that mineral hydroxide fillers increase the LOI to 30–31%, reduce the pHRR by 42–45%, and raise the decomposition onset temperature by 17–28 °C, whereas immobilized DMMP systems achieve an oxygen index of 50% with a UL-94 V-0 rating. For each type of filler, the trade-off between flame resistance and mechanical properties is discussed. The work is supplemented with data from publications over the past 3–5 years, covering bio-based VERs (based on magnolol, vanillin, protocatechuic aldehyde, and bisgwayacol), new-generation reactive phosphorus-containing modifiers (VIDOP, VIDHP/VIDPP, flexible-chain DOPO, DPPO, APP-MDO), and hybrid interphase solutions for fiber-reinforced composites, as well as a critical analysis of discrepancies in the literature and an assessment of the economic feasibility and scalability of the systems under consideration.