Organoboron compounds as durable flame retardants for cotton fabric

Abstract

Twenty-five organoboron compounds were evaluated for their ability to impart flame retardancy properties to a cotton twill fabric. Only those organoboron compounds in which the carbon-to-boron atom ratio was 4 or less imparted flame retardancy at an approximate 20% add-on level; if a halogen atom was also present in the molecule this ratio could be higher than 4. Washfast finishes with six different compounds were developed by either γ-radiation grafting of a vinyl organoboron compound or by chemical curing with hexamethylenediisocyanate, trimethylolmelamine or urea-formaldehyde.