Flame‐retardant action of chlorine compounds and antimony trioxide on cellulose fabric

Abstract

AbstractChemical research on the flame‐retardant action of halogen compounds and antimony trioxide on cellulose fabric was carried out by thermogravimetry, infrared spectrum analysis, and x‐ray diffraction analysis. The following results and conclusion were drawn: (1) Independently of the type of chlorine atoms introduced, that is, whether chlorine atoms are chemically bonded with cellulose chains or not, the introduction of chlorine atoms alone has little flame‐retardant effect, while combination of chlorine atoms with antimony trioxide is more effective. (2) Addition of only antimony trioxide to samples obtained from the dechlorination of chlordeoxycellulose is as effective as the combination of chlorine compounds and antimony trioxide, in spite of a trace of chlorine in the DCDC samples. (3) Introduction of chlorine compounds yielded the formation of carbonyl and double bond groups in the cellulose chains. The formation of the latter groups was accelerated by the combination of antimony trioxide; that of the former groups was inhibited. Most of the introduced chlorine atoms were missing in the condensed phase even at 300°C while a large portion of the initially added antimony trioxide remained in the condensed phase at least up to 400°C. One mode of flame‐retardant action of the combination of chlorine compounds and antimony trioxide was assumed to be the catalytic effect on the dehydration of cellulose to yield a thermostable polyene structure in the cellulose chains.