Effect of chitosan on the fire retardancy and thermal degradation properties of coated cotton fabrics with sodium phytate and APTES by LBL assembly

Abstract

Chitosan was added to cotton fabrics coated with sodium phytate and 3-Aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) to further enhance the fire retardant property by the layer-by-layer (LBL) assembly. The surface morphologies before and after flaming and structure of coated cotton fabrics were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared analysis. The thermal degradation properties, fire retardancy, and combustion properties of this system were investigated by Fourier transform infrared analysis, thermogravimetric analysis coupled with Fourier transform infrared analysis (TG-FTIR) in the N2 atmosphere, the thermogravimetric analysis in air atmosphere, limiting oxygen index test (LOI), vertical burning test and cone calorimeter test, respectively. Sodium phytate, chitosan and hydrolyzed APTES were successfully deposited and well distributed on the surface of cotton fibers. The LOI value of the coated cotton fabric with 15BL was 29.0%, and it extinguished at once in the vertical burning test, while the coated cotton fabrics with 5BL and 10BL were burned out. The deposition of sodium phytate, chitosan and hydrolyzed APTES led to the decrease of heat release rate, total heat release, total smoke release and smoke production rate. The promoted fire retardancy was assigned to thermally stable residuals formed on the surface of cotton fibers, which prohibited heat/mass transfer from combustion zone to polymer degradation zone. TG-FTIR results indicated that flame retardant cotton fabrics produced more nonflammable gases (CO2 and H2O) and less combustible gases than them of the control sample did, increasing flame retardant properties of flame retardant cotton fabrics.