A Review on Fire Protective Functional Finishing of Natural Fibre Based Textiles: Present Perspective

Abstract

Cotton, jute and other natural fibre based textile fabrics are gaining popularity in domestic and international field due to its eco-friendliness and biodegradability characteristics and carbon sequestering advantages. This natural fibres based textile fabrics, if can be finished with natural or eco-friendly synthetic fire-retardant chemicals to satisfy the Required standard, it gets an extra dimension in the market and has a huge demand, if it is cost competitive. Cotton, jute, wool and silk based natural fibres have wide differences in their composition and properties and some inherent properties in common are higher flammability, higher moisture absorption and susceptibility to rotting/microbial attack, poor crease recovery etc., which have restricted its growth of their uses towards protective technical/functional textiles, though they have certain genuine advantages too as agrorenewability, bio degradability etc. To find more uses of such natural fibres as high valued technical textiles, as value added technical textiles, these natural fibre based textile fabrics have to undergo certain property modifications by specific improved chemical finishing as required especially for fire retardancy, water repellency, rot resistance etc. depending on its end use applications [1,2]. For the development of various types of functional finishing of jute and other natural fibres that too with eco-friendly formulations and processes, proper choice of eco safe chemicals along with suitable eco safe process parameters and optimization of process variables, water and energy requirement/consumption etc., are must and important for sustainability. So, in this review paper, different aspects of Fire-Retardant finishing of Jute and other natural fibre based textiles and their present perspectives have been discussed.

How to Address Flame-Retardant Technology on Cotton Fabrics by Using Functional Inorganic Sol–Gel Precursors and Nanofillers: Flammability Insights, Research Advances, and Sustainability Challenges

“…(ii) blocking of the primary hydroxyl group in the C-6 position of the cellulose units, preventing the formation of flammable byproducts (levoglucosan), and catalyzing the dehydration and char formation [46]; (d) by preventing combustion through scavenging the generated free radicals (e.g., Br • /Cl • halogen-containing fire-retardant compounds), thus reducing the available heat ('gas phase' mechanism); (e) by enhancing the T c (combustion temperature) [47]; (f) by raising the initial decomposition temperature (i.e., T p ) for preventing/reducing the formation of flammable volatile species and increasing the formation of char and non-flammable gas.…”

Flame-Retardance Functionalization of Jute and Jute-Cotton Fabrics

“…The FR of cotton has been extensively studied, whereas Jute has received less attention. Earlier studies using borax-boric acid with diammonium phosphate [7], potassium-sodium tartarate (Rochelle Salt) as a fire-retardant agent for Jute cited in a review study by Pal et al [8], ammonium sulfamate (AS) with urea to improve the flame-retardancy of Cotton [9] and Jute [1]. Despite substantial drawbacks, halogenated, phosphorus-based and sulfur-based flame-retardants have been employed to improve the FR of wood [10], cotton [11], and synthetic [12] textiles.…”