Abstract
Blending Nomex® with cotton improves its affordability and serviceability. Because cotton is a highly flammable fiber, Nomex®/cotton blend fabrics containing more than 20% cotton require flame-retardant treatment. In this research, combination of a hydroxyl functional organophosphorus oligmer (HFPO) and 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) was used for flame retardant finishing of the 65/35 Nomex®/cotton blend woven fabric. The system contains HFPO as a flame retardant, BTCA as a bonding agent, and triethenolamine (TEA) as a reactive additive used to enhance the performance of HFPO/BTCA. Addition of TEA improves the hydrolysis resistance of the HFPO/BTCA crosslinked polymeric network on the blend fabric. Additionally, TEA enhances HFPO’s flame retardant performance by reducing formation of calcium salts and also by providing synergistic nitrogen to the treated blend fabric. The Nomex®/cotton blend fabric treated with the HFPO/BTCA/TEA system shows high flame resistance and high laundering durability at a relatively low HFPO concentration of 8% (w/w). The heat release properties of the treated Nomex®/cotton blend fabric were measured using microscale combustion calorimetry. The functions of BTCA; HFPO and TEA on the Nomex®/cotton blend fabric were elucidated based on the heat release properties, char formation, and fire performance of the treated blend fabric.
Highlights
Nomex®, a poly(meta-aramide) fiber, was developed commercially as a heat resistant synthetic fiber in the 1960s
We investigated the applications of different polycarboxylic acids, such as butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA), citric acid and succinic acid, to flame retardant finishing of cotton fleece [25,26,27,28]
The 65/35 Nomex® /cotton blend fabric is treated with 3% BTCA in combination with hydroxyl functional organophosphorus oligmer (HFPO) at concentration ranging from 6% to 14%, cured at 170 ◦ C for 3 min and subjected to one home washing cycle
Summary
Nomex® , a poly(meta-aramide) fiber, was developed commercially as a heat resistant synthetic fiber in the 1960s. Nomex® has been a widely used flame retardant fiber since 1960s, and today it is still one of the most successful high performance technical fibers in the industry [4,5,6]. High cost and low comfortability of Nomex® have limited its wider applications. Blending Nomex® with cotton reduces cost and improves comfortability of the fabrics. A flame-retardant finishing procedure becomes necessary to make such blend fabrics fire-resistant. Shown in Scheme 1 was used as a flame retardant finishing agent for cotton. Because HFPO does not have a functional group reactive to cotton, it is necessary to use a bonding agent, such as dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) and trimethylolmelamine (TMM), so that HFPO can Polymers 2016, 8, 327; doi:10.3390/polym8090327 www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers. 22 of dimethyloldihydroxyethyleneurea (DMDHEU) and trimethylolmelamine (TMM), so that HFPO can be covalently bound to cotton.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
