Enhancing Fire Safety and Softness: Efficacy of Ethanolamine Polyphosphate as a Fire Retardant for Textiles

The rising awareness of fire safety among consumers has driven the demand for fire retardants (FRs) that are both cost-effective and efficient across various industries, particularly in textiles. Traditional FRs often compromise fabric softness, resulting in undesirable tactile texture and stiffness changes. While the external addition of softeners can mitigate the stiffness, it may introduce issues such as a greasy texture and increased flammability. This study introduces ethanolamine polyphosphate (EAPP), an innovative organic polyphosphate, as an effective fire retardant that preserves the softness of textiles. Comprehensive evaluations are conducted on EAPP-treated textiles, revealing significant improvements in fire retardancy without compromising fabric quality. EAPP treatment (15 wt.% aqueous solutions) increases the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of pure cotton textiles from 17% to 36% and significantly reduces the peak heat release rate (pHRR) and total smoke rate (TSR) as measured by cone calorimetry. Unlike conventional FR products that form FR-salt crystal particles on the fabric surface after drying, EAPP forms a smooth FR protective layer on the fabric, enhancing mechanical fastness and maintaining tactile qualities. These findings highlight EAPP's potential as a non-washing durable, spray-on fire retardant solution for textiles, combining safety with user comfort.