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Deposition of Porous Sorbents on Fabric Supports
Published on: June 12, 2018
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Smoldering and Flame Resistant Textiles via Conformal Barrier Formation
Mauro Zammarano1, Valeria Cazzetta2, Shonali Nazaré1
1Flammability Reduction Group, Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-866, USA.
Advanced Materials Interfaces
|February 11, 2017
Summary
A novel silicone backcoating prevents fabric fires by forming a protective layer. This fire retardant technology offers enhanced smoldering and flaming ignition resistance for textiles and flexible materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Textile Engineering
Background:
- Flammable textiles pose significant fire risks.
- Existing fire retardant treatments often have limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel fire retardant mechanism for fabrics.
- To impart smoldering and flaming ignition resistance to textiles.
Main Methods:
- Application of a halogen-free, silicone-based backcoating to flammable fabric.
- Investigating the thermal decomposition products and their subsequent oxidation.
- Evaluating the formation of a protective coating on fabric fibers.
Main Results:
- Cyclic siloxanes formed upon thermal decomposition and diffused through the fabric.
- Oxidation of siloxanes created a conformal, thermally stable coating.
- The coating effectively shielded fibers, preventing fabric combustion.
Conclusions:
- A new fire retardant mechanism based on silicone backcoating was demonstrated.
- This approach provides effective smoldering/flaming ignition resistance and fire-barrier properties.
- The technology is applicable to textiles and multifunctional flexible materials.
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