A starch-based, durable phosphorous-containing flame retardant for cotton

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Textile Engineering

Background:

• Flame retardants are crucial for enhancing the safety of textile materials.
• Developing durable and effective flame retardants for natural fibers like cotton remains a challenge.
• Phosphorus-based flame retardants offer a promising alternative to halogenated compounds.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel starch-based phosphorus flame retardant, BMPTHD.
• To evaluate the flame retardant properties of BMPTHD on cotton fabric.
• To assess the durability of the flame retardant treatment on cotton fabric after multiple laundering cycles.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of BMPTHD using established chemical procedures.
• Characterization of BMPTHD using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy.
• Flame retardancy testing including Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI), Vertical Flame Test (VFT), and Cone Calorimetry Test (CCT).
• Durability assessment through 50 laundering cycles following NFPA 2112-2012 standards.
• Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Thermogravimetric Infrared (TG-IR) analysis to study decomposition behavior.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis and structural confirmation of BMPTHD.
• Significant improvement in LOI values (17.9% to 39.6%) and reduction in THR (49.29%) and FGR (81.02%).
• Cotton fabric treated with BMPTHD passed the VFT and maintained performance after 50 laundering cycles.
• TGA and TG-IR analyses indicated increased char residue and reduced production of combustible gases, confirming condensed-phase flame retardancy.

Conclusions:

• BMPTHD is an effective and durable phosphorus-based flame retardant for cotton fabric.
• The synthesized flame retardant significantly enhances fire safety by reducing flammability and heat release.
• The durability of BMPTHD after extensive laundering suggests its potential for long-term applications in protective textiles.