SYNTHETIC POLYMERS ARE QUITE VULNERABLE TO FIRE.THERE ARE 2.4 MILLION REPORTED FIRES, RESULTING IN 7.8 BILLION DOLLARS OF DIRECT PROPERTY LOSS, AN ESTIMATED 30 BILLION DOLLARS OF INDIRECT LOSS, 29,000 CIVILIAN INJURIES, 101,000 FIREFIGHTER INJURIES AND 6000 CIVILIAN FATALITIES ANNUALLY IN THE U.S. THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR A SAFE, POTENT, AND RELIABLE FIRE RETARDANT (FR) SYSTEM THAT CAN BE USED IN COMMODITY POLYMERS TO REDUE THEIR FLAMMABILITY AND PROTECT LIVES AND PROPERTIES. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP A NOVEL, SAFE AND BIOBASED FR SYSTEM USING AGRICULTURAL AND WOODY BIOMASS.THE PROJECT WILL EXPLORE THE POTENTIAL OF A MULTIFUNCTIONAL CELLULOSE NANOCRYSTALS (CNC) BASED FR SYSTEM THROUGH FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES:1. SYNTHESIZE ZINC OXIDE (ZNO) COATED CELLULOSE NANOPARTICLES AND EVALUATE THEIR MORPHOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL, STRUCTURAL AND THERMAL CHARACTERISTICS.2. DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE POLYMER COMPOSITES WITH FUNCTIONALIZED ZNO-CNC COMPLEXES.3. EVALUATE FIRE RETARDANCY AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITES.THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS IS THAT THE INCORPORATION OF ZINC OXIDE FUNCTIONALIZED CNC IN POLYMERS WILL IMPROVE THEIR FLAME RESISTANCE BY LOWERING HEAT RELEASE RATE AND LIMITING OXYGEN SUPPLY BY CHARRING, SHIELDING OR INSULATING THE POLYMER SURFACE WHILE IMPROVING MECHANICAL PROPERTIES. THE PROPOSED WORK IS ALIGNED WITH PROGRAM PRIORITY OF INVESTIGATING NANOTECHNOLOGY ENABLED TRANSFORMATIVE NON-FOOD IDEAS THAT SUPPORTS GROWTH OF BIOBASED CHEMICALS, U.S. AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT. THE OUTCOME WILL RESULT IN DEVELOPING A NOVEL FR SYSTEM THAT CAN BE USED IN CONSUMER GOODS, AUTOMOTIVE, BUILDING PRODUCTS THAT WILL HELP TO SAVE HUMAN LIVES AND PROPERTY LOSSES THROUGH FIRE.