Search Results (44)

The inherent flammability and hydrophilicity of nylon/cotton (NC) blend fabrics limit their practical applications. Traditional hydrophobic treatments often involve fluorinated compounds or nanomaterials, which raise environmental concerns and exhibit poor durability. To address these issues, this study developed a sustainable multifunctional finishing strategy. Initially, the nylon/cotton blended fabric was pretreated with 3-glycidyloxypropyltrimethoxy silane (GPTMS). An intumescent flame retardant coating based on bio-derived phytic acid (PA) and polyethyleneimine (PEI) was constructed on NC fabrics via a layer-by-layer (LBL) self-assembly process. Subsequently, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was grafted to reduce surface energy, imparting synergistic flame retardancy and superhydrophobicity. The treated fabric (C-3) showed excellent flame retardant and self-extinguishing behavior, with no afterflame or afterglow during vertical burning and a char length of only 35 mm. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed a residual char rate of 43.9%, far exceeding that of untreated fabric (8.6%). After PDMS modification, the fabric reached a water contact angle of 157.8°, indicating superior superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties. Durability tests showed that the fabric maintained its flame retardancy (no afterflame or afterglow) and superhydrophobicity (WCA > 150°) after 360 cm of abrasion and five laundering cycles. This fluorine-free, nanoparticle-free, and environmentally friendly approach offers a promising route for developing multifunctional NC fabrics for applications in firefighting clothing and self-cleaning textiles. Full article

Due to the development of wooden construction as an ecological alternative to brick construction with a high carbon footprint, there is increasing interest in materials such as plywood and LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber). These engineered wood products have many advantages compared to wood, such as a more uniform distribution of bending, shear, tensile, and compressive strength. However, they require improvements in fire and biological resistance. The flammability of wood and wood composites is a challenge that will allow these materials to stand out as structural or finishing materials. During combustion, toxic gases may be released, which can be harmful to people and the environment. Therefore, it is crucial to clarify whether fire-resistant wood materials are truly resistant to fire and non-toxic in fire conditions. On the other hand, flame retardants should not reduce the mechanical parameters of panels. This work analyses the current requirements (standards) regarding plywood intended for construction and the existing flame retardants for plywood and LVL based on the latest reports in the literature. We then propose an original method for evaluating future chemicals. Additionally, methods for assessing the flame retardancy of plywood and LVL based on the latest reports in the literature are described, and an original method for assessing flame retardancy methods is proposed. Full article

Nylon 66 (PA66) has been widely used in automotive, electronics, textiles and other fields due to its excellent mechanical properties, chemical corrosion resistance and thermal stability. However, the fire hazard caused by its flammability severely limits its further application in high–end and high–risk fields. Therefore, improving the flame retardancy of PA66 to enhance its safety has become the focus of current research. This review aims to better understand the research status and development trends of flame retardant PA66. Firstly, the combustion process and flame retardant mechanism of PA66 were described. Secondly, the latest research progress of flame retardant PA66 was comprehensively reviewed, including blending, copolymerization and post–finishing flame retardant modification methods. Meanwhile, the research status of blending flame retardant PA66 was emphatically introduced, and the advantages and disadvantages of different additive flame retardants were analyzed. Finally, the future development direction of flame retardant PA66 is proposed, which provides an important reference for its follow-up study. Full article

Recycling upholstery textiles is challenging due to the complexity of materials, which often include a mix of fabrics, foams, and adhesives that are difficult to separate. The intricate designs and layers in upholstered furniture make it labor-intensive and costly to dismantle for recycling. Additionally, contaminants like stains, finishes, and flame retardants complicate recycling. Despite these difficulties, recycling upholstery textiles is crucial to reducing landfill waste and conserving resources by reusing valuable materials. It also helps mitigate environmental pollution and carbon emissions associated with producing new textiles from virgin resources. The presented research aimed to establish the feasibility of incorporating textile fibers from waste artificial leather fibers from the upholstery furniture industry into the structure of high-density fiberboards. The bulk density of samples with wood fiber was 28.30 kg m⁻³, while it was 25.77 kg m⁻³ for textile fiber samples. The lowest modulus of elasticity (MOE) was 2430 N mm⁻², and it was 3123 N mm⁻² for the reference sample. The highest bending strength (MOR) was 42 N mm⁻², and the lowest was 27.2 N mm⁻². Screw withdrawal resistance decreased from 162 N mm⁻¹ in the reference sample to 92 N mm⁻¹ with 25% artificial leather fibers. The internal bond (IB) strength ranged from 1.70 N mm⁻² (reference) to 0.70 N mm⁻² (25% of artificial leather fibers content). Water absorption ranged from 81.8% (1% of artificial leather fibers) to 66% (25% of artificial leather fibers content). It has been concluded that it is possible to meet the European standard requirements with 10% addition of the artificial leather fiber content. This approach positively contributes to carbon capture and storage (CCS) policy and mitigates the problem of such waste being sent to landfills. The research shows that while selected mechanical and physical parameters of the panels decrease with a rising content of recycled textile fibers, it is possible to meet proper European standard requirements by adjusting technological parameters such as nominal density. Full article

We present a review of current research on promising flame retardants using specific methods of applying metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to the highly flammable fibrous surface of cotton fabric. In this review, we initially address the reasons why the search for new flame retardants has becomes critically important in textile finishing, the area responsible for adhering new functionalities to substrates. This addition of characteristics is closely linked to the nature of the fibers, so the reason for the improvement in cotton fabric in relation to flame retardancy is discussed. Furthermore, the development of highly porous nanomaterials that can generate composites with specific functions is described, as well as their application and methods of integration into textile surfaces. Finally, the main candidates for flame retardant functionality in cellulosic materials are identified. It is also hoped that this work will facilitate researchers to develop and formulate new methods of applying nanomaterials to textile substrates, with a view to becoming a reference for new research into the development of adhesion of emerging materials to traditional materials. Full article

Flame retardants are commonly used to reduce fire risk in various products and environments, including textiles. While many of these additives contain harmful substances, efforts are underway to reduce their usage. Current research aims to minimize flame-retardant quantities and enhance durability against external factors. This involves utilizing anchor peptides or material-binding peptides (MBPs), which are versatile molecules that bind strongly to surfaces like textiles. MBPs can be equipped with functional molecules, e.g., flame-retardant additives, by chemical or enzymatic bioconjugation. In this research, biohybrid flame retardants and an adapted finishing process are developed. Specifically, biobased adhesion promoters, the so-called MBPs, are used to finish textiles with flame-retardant additives. To date, there is no finishing process for treating textiles with MBPs and so a laboratory-scale finishing process based on foulard was developed. Necessary parameters, such as the take-off speed or the contact pressure of the squeezing rollers, are determined experimentally. In order to develop an adapted finishing process, various trials are designed and carried out. Part of the trials is the testing and comparison of different textiles (e.g., glass woven fabrics and aramid woven fabrics) under different conditions (e.g., different ratios of MBPs and flame retardants). The finished textiles are then analysed and validated regarding their flammability and the amount of adhered flame retardants. Full article

Inflammable building finishing materials act as a major cause of fire propagation, and they, therefore, pose significant risks to life and can lead to property damage. To replace such flammable building finishing materials, many countries have established regulations limiting their use, which has led to extensive research on the development of flame-retardant building finishing materials. Such methods have included adding flame retardants to construction materials to reduce the heat release rate and total heat release. The present study aimed to enhance the fire performance of cellulose-based architectural finishing materials by creating a dual flame-retardant mixture using expandable graphite and magnesium hydroxide added to recycled paper waste. Specimen fabrication involves using a pressing method to apply uniform pressure to compress the mixture in a mold. The total heat release (THR), CO, and CO₂ production of the produced specimens were measured using a cone calorimeter while varying the magnesium hydroxide additive ratio. The combustion gases were measured through NES 713 experiments to determine any changes in the Toxic Index corresponding to variations in the magnesium hydroxide content. The experiment results established a correlation between the magnesium hydroxide additive ratio and the total heat release, as well as the existence of variations in CO and CO₂ production for the dual flame-retardant recycled paper material. A database for combustion gases was also obtained. It was confirmed that the fire performance was improved by confirming that the total heat release decreased by 52% from the previous one in the magnesium hydroxide content of 30 g, and it was confirmed that the inflection points of the Toxic Index value due to the change in CO and CO₂ gas production occurred in the magnesium hydroxide content of 20 g due to the improvement of the fire performance. Through the ISO 5660-1 experiment data, we have secured data that can be used as foundational information for performance-oriented fire risk assessments, thereby ensuring the fire safety of cellulose materials that are vulnerable to fire. Full article

In modern society, the size of buildings tends to expand due to technological advances. However, while prioritizing performance design and specific building materials, fire research has fallen short of creating a comprehensive fire characteristic database for building materials. This study presents a plan for building a big data resource to evaluate the fire performance of cellulose-based flame retardant building finishing material in buildings of varying sizes. The three types of building finishing materials applied in this study are polyurethane foam, MDF, and cellulose-based building finishing materials. The variables were determined based on the floor area, and the change in floor area was calculated using the aspect ratio, a dimensionless number. Data analysis utilized the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to determine the time required to meet life safety standards for temperature, visibility, and Fractional Effective Dose (FED). The results confirm a correlation between the safe evacuation time (ASET) and increasing floor area. Additionally, the study demonstrates that cellulose-based flame-retardant building finishing material effectively maintains safe evacuation times even with increasing floor areas, as evidenced by increases of 41.0 s, 13.2 s, and 97.5 s in temperature, visibility, and FED, respectively. Full article

This study reports process optimization studies of silica and zinc oxide-based flame-retardant (FR) coatings on cotton fabric for protective clothing and enhanced flammability properties. The experiments were designed by central composite design (CCD) using response surface methodology (RSM) to assess the synergistic protective effects of silica and zinc oxide FR coating. These prepared sols were coated on cotton fabrics by a simple dip dry cure process. The resulting FR-finished fabrics were characterized by SEM, mechanical properties, flame retardancy, and air permeability. SEM results confirmed the homogenous spreading of particles on cotton fabrics. From TGA results, it was noticed that the incorporation of silica and ZnO in the prepared nano-sols results in improved thermal stability of the FR-finished fabrics. These sol–gel-treated FR cotton fabrics showed excellent comfort properties, which shows their suitability for fire-retardant protective clothing. RSM analysis proved that the predicted values are in good agreement with the experimental values since R² values for time to ignite, flame spread time, and air permeability were greater than 0.90. The optimized concentration of silica and ZnO in FR-finished fabrics was found to be 0.302% and 0.353%, respectively, which was further confirmed by confirmatory experiments. The optimization analysis successfully optimized the process for synergistic coating of silica and zinc oxide nanoparticles for enhanced flammability properties of FR cotton fabric for protective clothing. Full article

Cellulose fabric testing for flame-retardant studies is frequently necessary in various textile applications. Natural cellulose material from ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is being promoted as an alternative raw material for the development of fire-resistant fabrics. This research aims to optimize the coating process of ramie fabric using a phosphorus-based flame retardant (FR) to enhance its flame-retardant characteristics. The FR treatment involves bleaching the fabric with H₂O₂; followed by fabric finishing using a formula comprising 3% (v/v) hydroxymethyl resin; phosphoric acid (2%); and two formulations of the flammable agent Flamatic DM-3072N: 40% (v/v) and 50% (v/v), applied using the pad-dry-cure method. The flame-retardant properties of the treated fabric are evaluated through flammability testing based on the ASTM D6413-08 standard, limiting oxygen index (LOI) analysis, and micrograph surface structure analysis with SEM. The results indicate that ramie fabric treated with the FR-50% material exhibits superior fire resistance, preventing fire spread on the fabric with a char length of 15–30 mm and a LOI value of 29. These findings highlight the potential of FR-treated ramie fabrics for various industries, including the automotive and protective clothing industries. Full article

Limited by flammability, wood and wood-based materials face challenges in distinguishing themselves as structural materials or finishing materials. Once burning, they can produce toxic gases detrimental to humans and the environment. Therefore, it is critical to make clear whether fire-retardant wood construction materials are insusceptible to fire and not the sources of toxic gases. This study aimed to evaluate flame-retardant plywood from the aspects of flammability and the toxic gas and smoke generation during combustion. The flame-retardant plywood was manufactured by impregnating a flame-retardant resin in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards. The research results indicate that seven out of the eight kinds of toxic gases listed by the IMO, other than CO, were not detected during the combustion of the flame-retardant plywood. While CO was detected, its quantities under three test conditions are below the corresponding thresholds. Therefore, unlike synthetic resin products, flame-retardant plywood is a promising finishing material that can reduce the damage from toxic gases in the event of a fire. In the smoke generation tests, the mass reduction rate of flame-retardant plywood increased from 13% to 18% and then to 20% as the test condition became more severe. Under the same circumstances, the average maximum specific optical density also followed an upward trend, whose values (75.70, 81.00, and 191.20), however, still met the IMO standard of below 200. This reflects that the flame-retardant plywood is competent as a finishing material. Further, flammability was evaluated, and the critical flux at extinguishment (CFE), total heat release (Qt), and peak heat release rate (Qp) were determined to be 49.5 kW/m², 0.21 MJ, and 0.66 kW, respectively, which all did not reach the corresponding thresholds given by the IMO. To sum up, flame-retardant plywood has satisfactory flame-retardant performance and meets fire safety standards, showing the potential to be an attractive finishing material for building and construction. Full article

Wildfires are becoming more intense and more frequent, ravaging the habitations and ecosystems in their path. One solution to reducing the risk of damage to buildings and other structures during a fire event is the use of fire-retardant coatings that can stop or slow down the spread of flames, especially for textile materials. The present study focuses on the preparation and application of halogen-free boron/bentonite-based polymeric fire-retardant (FR) hybrid coating formulations for fabrics such as cotton (CO) and polyester (PE) fibers. For the preparation of FR composites, two types of boron derivatives, disodium octaborate and zinc borate, were used in combination with sodium bentonite. A styrene-acrylic copolymer was specifically synthesized and used as a coating binder for FR components to apply on fabrics. The properties of the synthesized copolymer and FR composites were characterized with a particle size analysis, FTIR spectroscopy, a dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), and rheological measurements. The obtained hybrid composites based on styrene-acrylic copolymers and two different inorganic fillers were applied on cotton (CO) and polyester (PE) fabrics with a screen-printing technique, and the flame retardancy performance of the finished textile samples was investigated by means of flame spread and limit oxygen index (LOI) tests. The findings showed that the FR-composite-coated fabrics had higher LOI values and much decreased flame spread rates in comparison with uncoated ones. Among the boron derivatives, the composites prepared with disodium octaborate (FR-A) had much more pronounced LOI values and decreased flame spread behavior in comparison with the composite with zinc borate (FR-B). When compared to a commercial product, the FR-A composite, in conjunction with the specially synthesized polymer, demonstrated commendable fire retardancy performance and emerged as a promising candidate for a halogen-free waterborne fire-retardant coating for fabrics. Full article

Particle boards are manufactured through a hot pressing process using wood materials (natural polymer materials) and adhesive, which find common usage in indoor decorative finishing materials. Flame-retardant particleboard, crucial for fire safety in such applications, undergoes performance analysis that includes assessing temperature distribution across its facing surface and temperature increase on the backside surface during facade combustion, yielding critical insights into fire scenario development. In this study, a compact flame spread apparatus is utilized to examine the flame retardancy and combustion behavior of particle boards, with a specific emphasis on the application of cost-effective flame retardants, encompassing aluminum hypophosphite (ALHP), an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) comprising ammonium polyphosphate (APP), melamine (MEL), and Dipentaerythritol (DPE), alongside magnesium hydroxide (MDH), and their associated combustion characteristics. The D_300°C values, representing the vertical distance from the ignition point (IP) to P_300°C (the temperature point at 300 °C farthest from IP), are measured using a compact temperature distribution measurement platform. For MDH/PB, APP + MEL + DPE/PB, and ALHP/PB samples, the respective D_300°C values of 145.79 mm, 117.81 mm, and 118.57 mm indicate reductions of 11.11%, 28.17%, and 27.71%, compared to the untreated sample’s value of 164.02 mm. The particle boards treated with ALHP, IFR, and MDH demonstrated distinct flame-retardant mechanisms. MDH/PB relied on the thermal decomposition of MDH to produce MgO and H₂O for flame retardancy, while APP + MEL + DPE/PB achieved flame retardancy through a cross-linked structure with char expansion, polyphosphate, and pyrophosphate during combustion. On the other hand, ALHP/PB attained flame retardancy by reacting with wood materials and adhesives, forming a stable condensed P-N-C structure. This study serves as a performance reference for the production of cost-effective flame-resistant particleboards and offers a practical method for assessing its fire-resistant properties when used as a decorative finishing material on facades in real fire situations. Full article

It is well known that bacterial infections and fire-hazards are potentially injurious in daily life. With the increased security awareness of life and properties as well as the improvement of living standards, there has been an increasing demand for multifunctional textiles with flame retardant and antibacterial properties, especially in the fields of home furnishing and medical protection. So far, various treatment methods, including the spray method, the dip-coating method, and the pad-dry-cure method, have been used to apply functional finishing agents onto fabrics to achieve the functionalization in the past exploration stage. Moreover, in addition to the traditional finishing technology, a number of novel technologies have emerged, such as layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition, the sol-gel process, and chemical grafting modification. In addition, some natural biomasses, including chitin, chitosan (CS), and several synthetic functional compounds that possess both flame-retardant and bacteriostatic properties, have also received extensive attention. Hence, this review focuses on introducing some commonly used finishing technologies and flame retardant/antibacterial agents. At the same time, the advantages and disadvantages of different methods and materials were summarized, which will contribute to future research and promote the development and progress of the industry. Full article

Building fires can spread through surface combustion of both combustible and interior finishing materials. Recently, the use of foam blocks as interior materials for high-rise residential buildings has increased. However, as foam blocks are primarily composed of polyethylene, they are not flame-retardant and can readily burn and the fire can spread, leading to large-scale damage. Herein, the fire hazard and diffusion characteristics of foam blocks were compared with those of flame-retardant and general wallpapers to confirm the risk of fire. The fire risk of the foam blocks was confirmed using flammability, cone calorimetry, and spread-of-flame analyses. Based on a comparative analysis of the fire risk of foam blocks, the average total heat release was 11.2 MJ/m. This is approximately three times higher than the average heat release rate of the flame-retardant wallpaper and approximately two times higher than that of the general wallpaper. The foam blocks ignited rapidly owing to fire and generated large amounts of combustion gas and heat. To prevent such a fire, 5 wt% montmorillonite (MMT) was simply coated after surface modification to suppress the occurrence of fire. Various flame-retardant materials, surface modifications, and fire safety systems must be developed to prevent fire hazards. Full article