Abstract
Abstract A phosphoramidate flame retardant (dimethyl N,N-bis(2-hydroxyletheyl)phosphoramidate, DMBHP) was synthesized and applied to cotton fabrics for enhancing the flame retardancy. The structure of DMBHP was characterized by FT-IR and NMR. The flame retardancy and combustion behavior of the treated cotton fabrics were evaluated using the vertical flammability test (VFT), limiting oxygen index (LOI), and the cone calorimetric test. Moreover, to further analyze the flame retardant action of DMBHP in cotton fabrics, thermal degradability of the treated fabrics, as well as the chemical structure, surface morphology, and element contents of the char residue of the DMBHP-treated fabrics were also evaluated. The results show that, after treating with DMBHP, the cotton fabrics acquired a LOI value from 18.1 to 31.1 with the concentration increasing to 30% and self-extinguished in VFT tests when treated with up to 15% DMBHP. Besides, the total heat release and the peak heat release rate of DMBHP (30%)-treated fabric decreased obviously compared with the pure cotton along with more residue retained. TG, SEM, and EDS results of treated cotton fabric and the corresponding residue after burning showed that DMBHP has the capability of enhancing char formation. In addition, DMBHP will confer cotton fabrics a certain durability against washing with the help of 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and citric acid (CA).
Highlights
Cotton is a natural cellulose fiber that is used widely in apparel, upholstery, and industrial textiles as it possesses several desirable properties such as softness, comfort, warmth, recyclability and biodegradability
The weight gains (WG) of the treated samples were calculated using Eq 1: The limiting oxygen index (LOI) values of the cotton fabrics were evaluated in accordance with GB/T 5454-1997 using an oxygen index tester (LFY-606 B, Shandong Textile Science Research Institute, China), and for each sample, the fabrics were cut into 150 mm × 58 mm pieces for testing
The element contents and the distribution of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), carbon (C), and oxygen (O) in the DMBHPtreated finished cotton fabrics before and after burning were measured using an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Both the control and finished cotton fabrics were subjected to vertical flammability tests (VFT) and limiting oxygen index (LOI) test
Summary
Cotton is a natural cellulose fiber that is used widely in apparel, upholstery, and industrial textiles as it possesses several desirable properties such as softness, comfort, warmth, recyclability and biodegradability. The high flammability of cotton fabric is a major concern that greatly restricts its practical application To overcome this issue and reduce the potential fire hazard of cotton fiber, various compounds and formulations containing halogens, phosphorus, nitrogen, and silicon or their mixtures have been developed in terms of improving the flame resistance of cotton fabrics (1–5). Gaan et al investigated the influences of different alkyl substituents at the nitrogen atom and found that reactive terminal hydroxyl groups could catalyze the decomposition of the flame retardants as well as promote the char formation of cellulose (14). In washing durability test, 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid (BTCA) and citric acid (CA) were used to improve the washing fastness of the DMBHP-treated cotton fabric
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