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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #310495
Title: The comparison of differences in flammability and thermal degradation between cotton fabrics treated with phosphoramidate derivatives

Author
item Nguyen, Monique
item Chang, Sechin
item Condon, Brian

Submitted to: Polymers for Advanced Technologies
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/17/2014
Publication Date: 6/1/2015
Citation: Nguyen, M.M., Chang, S., Condon, B.D. 2015. The comparison of differences in flammability and thermal degradation between cotton fabrics treated with phosphoramidate derivatives. Polymers for Advanced Technologies. 25(6):665-672.

Interpretive Summary: This research has been shown intumescent flame retardant for environmentally friendly halogen-free flame retardant which can be used to bring flame retardancy to cotton fabrics. Intumescent flame retardant system can be applied to decrease flammability of polymers. It is particularly useful to design and develop new environmentally friendly phosphorous and nitrogen containing flame retardant and formulations that enable textiles. Towards this goal novel compound was prepared via one single step synthesis and formulated in aqueous solutions to make cotton fabrics pass the vertical flammability tests. We achieved this ultimate result and in the process explained our design criteria, the chemistry to achieve the new compound, and employed standard test methods to verify our results. The new compound and their formulation will be of interest and use to professionals engaged in new materials designing in textile industries to create new marketable uses for cotton fibers and fabrics to serve emerging needs.

Technical Abstract: The effectiveness of a phosphoramidate Tetraethyl piperazine-1,4-diyldiphosphoramidate (TEPP) as a flame retardant (FR) on cotton twill fabrics was compared with that of a previously studied Diethyl 4-methylpiperazin-1-ylphosphoramidate (DEPP). TEPP was formed in a reaction between two phosphonates and a piperazine then cotton twill fabrics were treated with TEPP at different levels of add-on (2 - 19 wt%) and characterized using vertical flammability, limiting oxygen index (LOI), microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) methods. The results showed better flame retardancy and thermal behavior for TEPP fabrics when compared with DEPP fabrics. When the morphological structure of the formed char from the burned areas was examined by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the results revealed a fairly insignificant difference in the mode of action between the two types of fabric.