Abstract: This paper presented an overview of recent literature on flame retardant polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene alloys, the mechanism of thermal decomposition of polycarbonate was also presented. Halogen-free flame retardants including phosphorus, silicone-based compounds and the related flame retarding mechanism were discussed. It was pointed that halogen-free, high efficiency, low toxicity, and environmental friendliness constituted the developing trends for the flame retardants.

Key words: polycarbonate, thermal decomposition, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, alloy, flame retardant, retardant mechanism