ARS | Publication request: Flame retardant cotton based highloft nonwovens

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: February 5, 2010
Publication Date: April 28, 2010
Citation: Uppal, R., Mercemik, H., Bhat, G., Nam, S., Parikh, D.V., Condon, B.D. 2010. Flame retardant cotton based highloft nonwovens. Proceedings of National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference. p. 1586-1590.

Interpretive Summary: Although cotton fiber high-loft nonwovens are comfortable, lightweight, and flexible in use for upholstery, mattresses, pillows, bedclothes, etc., their high flammability is a bottleneck for further development. The objective of this study was to impart the flame resistance to cotton-based high-lofts by treating greige cotton fibers with the flame retardant (FR) formulation developed at SRRC, which contains diammonium phosphate and urea, and by blending with FR rayon, which was obtained from Lenzing Company. These fibers were then blended with polyester binder fibers to form high-lofts. The results showed that the high-loft fabricated with FR greige cotton fiber yielded a limited oxygen index (LOI) up to 31.5, whereas that blended with FR rayon fiber yielded a LOI up to 26, demonstrating the efficacy of the SRRC FR formulation. This development of FR greige cotton is expected to stimulate to increase the use of greige cotton.

Technical Abstract: Flame retardancy has been a serious bottleneck to develop cotton blended very high specific volume bulky High loft fabrics. Alternately, newer approach to produce flame retardant cotton blended High loft fabrics must be employed that retain soft feel characteristics desirable of furnishings. Hence, the present research effort was directed to study cotton-blended High loft fabrics. The objective of this research was to improve flame resistance (FR) and physical resiliency of cotton high lofts. Flame retardant cotton fibers that have been chemically treated with FR chemical developed at USDA-SRRC. Hence, there is no need for a coating and the product retains a soft feel. In this study, SRRC FR cotton or FR Rayon were blended of with a binder to form high loft s and were evaluated. Using the LOI test, SRRC FR cotton with a binder yielded an LOI of up to 31.5, whereas FR Rayon with a binder yielded an LOI of up to 26. The formulations imparted flame resistance to the high lofts.