Development of fire retarding composite board for fire compartmentation application using waste denim: A review

Abstract

This paper represents a comprehensive review work to understand the utter need to recycle denim waste and its use as a structural member with good mechanical and fire retardant properties for compartmentation under Passive Fire Protection systems. At present the amount of denim waste recycled is very small as compared to what is landfilled and studying the rate of denim waste generation and its associated problems there is certainly a scope for new effective denim waste recycling methods. This paper includes an intensive review on the best present fire retardant and mechanical properties improving methodologies for denim fabrics. Despite the fact that denim fabric is virtually entirely made of cotton (99%), the spinning process increases the LOI value from 18.5 percent (cotton) to 20.1 percent (denim). Various compositions, formulations, and application tactics of various fire retardants, such as boron-based, phosphorus-based fire retardants, and so on, were investigated to improve the composite's fire retardancy upto 89 percent. To considerably improve the physical and mechanical characteristics of the composite, different composite manufacturing processes such as film stacking, compression molding, resin transfer molding, vacuum infusion, hand lay-up, and hot pressing method were investigated. According to the findings, denim based composite boards have huge potential for fire compartmentation application. This paper provides the direction towards development of such boards which will not just help in denim waste management but also provide important component of passive fire protection for much needed building fire safety.