A new multifunctional flame-retardant coating for cotton fabric to enhance smoke suppression, and UV shielding properties

Abstract

Turmeric powder (TP) is used in the textile industry as a colouring agent, but its impact on the flammability properties of textiles wasn’t investigated. In this work, new coatings containing TP and TP with melamine polyphosphate (MPP) were utilized to enhance the thermal stability, flame retardancy, colour strength (K/S), and UV-protection factor (UPF) of cotton fabric (CF). Flammability tests indicated that TP alone failed to prevent flame spread in the fabric, and it increased the emission of toxic gases, especially CO and CO2. In contrast, the MPP/TP coating was able to put an end to the spread of a flame in CF, and the samples achieved self-extinction. The value of the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of CF was 18.2%, and it enhanced in MPP/TP containing samples to be 37.8%. K/S and UPF values showed that MPP/TP coatings improved the K/S and UPF values of CF to 2.9 and 290, respectively. Additionally, they lowered the toxic gases produced during CF combustion and the maximum specific optical density (Dsmax) of CF. The new coatings improved the char residue production in treated samples at 750 °C compared to CF, according to the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) data. Untreated and treated samples' mechanical and physical characteristics were measured and compared. Analysis of smoke toxic gases and inspection of char remained following the smoke density test revealed that MPP/TP coating enhanced the flame retardancy of CF in both the condensed and gas phases.