Chitosan-Branched Polyethyleneimine Hybrid Cationic Layer as an Effective Solution Towards Fire Vulnerability of...

The traditional acid-based production method was often utilized to produce flame-retardant material, which is environmentally hazardous and adversely affects the intrinsic properties of the substrates. To address these critical challenges, this work was carried out to develop a pioneer flame-retardant composite material based on cotton and biocompatible hybrid cationic/anionic species deposited through the Layer-by-Layer deposition method. The FTIR results unveil the peaks reflected by coated elements, confirm the successful deposition of coating materials on the cotton substrate. The microstructure and uniform deposition of the coating were analyzed through scanning electron microscopy. The thermal stability of the composites is enhanced with higher coating layers due to the formation of a protective char layer. Flame retardancy of the investigated samples is measured through the vertical flame test and micro-combustion calorimetry method, exhibiting remarkable reduction in peak heat release rate and total heat released rate by 47.30% and 34%, respectively. The acquired results acknowledge the suitability of the production method to produce green fire-retardant materials with excellent thermal stability and flame retardancy to utilize in the fire-resistant industry.