The chemical and physical structure of cyclodextrin makes it attractive for use in flame retardant finishing for improving the functional properties and durability of the finished fabric. The suitability of cyclodextrins for grafting using viable techniques that could be reproduced was studied. The flame retardant diammonium phosphate was applied on cyclodextrin-grafted cotton fabric and grafted cum bonded with 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid fabric. The modified monochlorotriazinyl-b-cyclodextrin gives more percentage of grafting (2.7%) under normal processing conditions used for cotton fabric. The effect of treatments like cyclodextrin grafting and 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid treatment on grafted fabric were analysed for diammonium phosphate flame retardant finishing. The whiteness and loss of strength caused by the cyclodextrin grafting was within acceptable limits and the hand value alteration was very less. The flammability behaviour and durability after 1, 5, 10, 20 and 40 washing cycles were determined. The results reveal that the flame retardant property of cyclodextrin treatment enhances the durability of the fabric from non-durable to semi-durable, Downloaded from whereas the diammonium phosphate treatment on 1,2,3,4-butane tetracarboxylic acid/ cyclodextrin-grafted fabric changes the flame retardant from non-durable to durable. The evolution of gases during the burning of untreated and treated samples was analysed and the results show that the cyclodextrin-grafted fabric masks the evolving gases to some extent during burning and also that there was less release of formaldehyde in grafted samples compared with ungrafted diammonium phosphate finished sample.