Effectiveness of Proban^® flame retardant in used clothing

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.Abstract During conflict, Royal Navy personnel wear a two-ply flame-retardant (FR) "action coverall" (AC) and "anti-flash" (AF) hood and gloves, made from Proban (Albright & Wilson's registered trademark) treated cotton. It is a widely held belief that extended wear, and repeated washing damages the Proban w FR finish making the garments more susceptible to ignition if exposed to flame. To examine this, new and used AC and AF were exposed up to 10 s on a flame manikin. The examples of used AC and AF had been worn for approximately 56 days and washed 20 times over a 12 week period at sea. For flame challenges up to 10 s, much greater than expected in a fuel explosion, the protection afforded by the used clothing was as good as for the new clothing, with some evidence that protection had improved. It is concluded that the Proban w FR treatment was not damaged by wear or washing.

Impact of Washing Parameters on Thermal Characteristics and Appearance of Proban®—Flame Retardant Material

“…In order to protect humans in open flame fires and extreme heats, the fabric is significant in the preservation and protection of the human body [ 4 ].…”

“…The composition and structure of the material, its technical characteristics, degree of pre-treatment, finishing and external environment conditions (weather, heat, air flow, oxygen concentration) influence the material’s flame retardancy [ 5 ]. Cotton is often used because of its high comfort characteristics, but it is easily flammable and generates burns [ 4 ]. Various treatments attempt to quench the flames, reduce the combustible gases and strengthen the generation of non-combustible gaseous degradation products in order to achieve flame retardancy.…”

“…The key factor is that the final product does not have hydrolyzed bonds on phosphorus, which is completely in a stable phosphine oxide structure. The efficiency of FR cellulose materials depends on process parameters in the domain of technological and use durability or lifetime, so Proban ® should be considered a material whose FR properties can be weakened after several washing cycles [ 4 , 5 , 6 ]. The assessment of the durability of a product can be based on two aspects, technical and usage (e.g., duration of use, supplier and consumer requirement), as well as on other environmental and economic aspects (e.g., life cycle, cost of products) [ 4 , 8 , 9 ].…”

Flammability and Thermoregulation Properties of Knitted Fabrics as a Potential Candidate for Protective Undergarments

“…Apart from flammability, the thermophysiological comfort of the non-flammable underwear is one of the most significant factors. All these factors depend on the fiber content, fabric structure, and finishing procedures [ 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. The thermophysiological comfort is dictated by the moisture management properties, thermal resistance, air permeability, and water vapor permeability of the fabrics.…”