Editing Polyphosphate (section)

==Use as fire retardants==
Polyphosphates are widely recognized today as effective fire retardants due to their ability to promote char formation and inhibit flame propagation. When exposed to heat, polyphosphates decompose to form phosphoric acid, which facilitates the creation of a protective char layer on the material’s surface. This barrier reduces heat transfer, limits oxygen access, and suppresses the release of flammable gases, making polyphosphates a key component in modern fire-retardant formulations across various industries, including both polymer composites and wood based products.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Martinka | first=Jozef | last2=Mantanis | first2=George I. | last3=Lykidis | first3=Charalampos | last4=Antov | first4=Petar | last5=Rantuch | first5=Peter | title=The effect of partial substitution of polyphosphates by aluminium hydroxide and borates on the technological and fire properties of medium density fibreboard | journal=Wood Material Science & Engineering | volume=17 | issue=6 | date=2022-11-02 | issn=1748-0272 | doi=10.1080/17480272.2021.1933175 | pages=720–726}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Mantanis | first=George I. | last2=Martinka | first2=Jozef | last3=Lykidis | first3=Charalampos | last4=Ševčík | first4=Libor |title=Technological properties and fire performance of medium density fibreboard (MDF) treated with selected polyphosphate-based fire retardants | journal=Wood Material Science & Engineering | volume=15 | issue=5 | date=2020-09-02 | issn=1748-0272 | doi=10.1080/17480272.2019.1596159 | pages=303–311 | url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17480272.2019.1596159 | access-date=2025-05-25}}</ref>