Biopolymer-containing formulations to render acrylic fabrics fire resistant and anti-static

Abstract

Although widely used in textile applications, acrylic fabric (AF) suffers from being hydrophobic, with a surface that has a high tendency to catch fire and create electrostatic charge. Many methods have been adopted to improve the performance attributes of AF; however, theyare either polluting or not durable against repeated washing. Herein, a synergy of phytic acid (PA) and a protein biopolymer, namely keratin or sericin, was adopted to boost the resistance to flame, ultraviolet rays, and electrostatic charges, as well as enhance the hydrophilicity of AF. An efficient flame retardant (FR) was synthesized by reacting calculated amounts of PA and pentaerythritol (PE) to form hexa-pentaerythritolphytate ester (HPP), which in turn reacted with a proteinic biopolymer in the presence or absence of a crosslinking agent to produce a multifunctional FR formulation. The prepared formulation was utilized as a multifunctional textile auxiliary for improving the resistance of alkali-hydrolyzed AF to flame and UV rays and for enhancing its hydrophilic and anti-static properties. The chemical structure of the synthesized functional FR was investigated using FTIR and by determining its phosphorus, nitrogen, and carboxylic contents. The mechanism of reaction between the synthesized FR and the hydrolyzed fabric was proposed. The discrepancy between the topographies of the treated and untreated fabrics was monitored using scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed that the treated AF exhibited a durable and superior resistance to flame, which was not adversely affected by washing up to 20 times. The anti-static property and wettability of the treated fabrics were highly improved, whereas their resistance to the deteriorative action of UV rays was enhanced to an almost an adequate level according to AS/NZS 4399:1996. The proposed process is an additive method for improving some performance and comfort attributes of AF without causing a severe loss in the fabric’s strength.