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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 #248389

Title: Green Flame Retardant Cotton Highlofts for Mattresses and Upholstered Furniture

Author
item Parikh, Dharnidhar
item Condon, Brian
item BHAT, GAJANAN - University Of Tennessee

Submitted to: Proceedings Of The American Association Of Textile Chemists And Colorists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/25/2010
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Green flame retardant (FR) barrier fabric is environmentally-friendly because it is from a natural renewable resource, biodegradable, economical, employing greige cotton that is soft to touch. Greige unbleached cotton is cheaper and softer than bleached cotton, thus, increasing its marketability particularly for low to medium value mattresses. The present work is the outcome of the ongoing research at the Southern Regional Research Center (SRRC) to produce economical greige (unbleached) FR cotton fiber/nonwoven fabric (either needle-punched, highloft thermal-bonded or hydro-entangled thermal-bonded fabrics) which can be used as fire barrier fabric. The FR quality will be high enough to be in compliance with the federal requirements so that the mattresses and upholstered furniture using these FR barrier fabrics are protected from contributing to flashover, permitting 30+ minutes for the occupants to escape to safety in the event of a residential fire. The FR greige cotton barrier fabrics (non-durable to washing) are produced by coating or impregnating with economical environmentally benign FR chemicals. The present work describes the development of cost-effective FR greige cotton nonwoven barrier green fabrics for use in mattresses and upholstered furniture to meet the open-flame testing of the flammability regulation, 16 CFR 1633 effective since July 2007.