IMPROVEMENT OF FLAME RETARDANT AND ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF COTTON-POLYESTER BLEND FABRICS

Abstract

The fire retardant and antibacterial characteristics of cotton-polyester blend fabric have been improved. A composition has been developed for complex finishing of fabric using a phosphorus-containing substance on a biological basis, which, due to its high phosphorus content, can provide a fire-retardant function to textile material, as well as increase its antimicrobial properties. The thermal characteristics of treated textile materials have been studied and it has been established that the presence of phytic acid at the initial stage of destruction shifts the temperature towards lower values due to the activation of phytic acid degradation before the decomposition of the main substrate. The maximum temperature at which the final destruction of the cotton-polyester fabric occurs shifts to higher temperatures from 507°C for the untreated fabric to 565°C for the treated fabric, and the presence of dry residue increases by more than 2.5 times, which proves an increase in the heat resistance of the textile material. The length of the damaged area in the vertical combustion test was 6.5 cm, and the absence of drop formation of the polyester component was also noted, which eliminates the potential destructive effect due to the possible formation of additional fire areas. An increase in fabric antimicrobial activity is confirmed by a zone of inhibition of 2 – 4 mm around the sample using the diffusion method with gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus pyogenes, as well as a pronounced growth inhibition of microorganisms around fabric samples examined by the method of inoculation of microflora from the environment. Treatment with the studied composition improves washing resistance and does not impair the mechanical properties of the textile material by increasing the degree of crosslinking of the polymer components used in the finishing composition.