Influence of Laundering on Durable Flame Retarded Cotton Fabrics — Part 1. Effect of Oxidant Concentration and Detergent Type

Abstract

Cotton fabrics flame retarded with tetrakis (hydroxymethyl phosphonium chloride (THPC)-urea-ammonia polycondensate (Proban CC, Albright and Wilson Ltd., U.K.) have been subjected to up to 50 simulated hospital wash cycles. Laundering variables include sodium perborate oxidant concentration, detergent type (liquid with no oxidant, powder with zeolite and sodium perborate and powder with polyphosphate and carbonate and perborate) and water hardness. The flame retardant system resisted all laundering systems in terms of the constancy of burning behaviour assessed by vertical strip (BS 5438) and *Edator's Note: A reviewer of this paper has pointed out that the authors' use of the terms &dquo;flame retardant&dquo; and &dquo;flame resistant&dquo; is not in accord with practice now generally followed in the U.S. Since the Journal is international in its circulation, we hesitate to require conformation to U.S. practice except in the interest of avoiding confusion for readers. The terms as used here should not cause such a problem. Downloaded from 336 limiting oxygen index (LOI) measurements. However, increased perborate concentration changed the thermogravimetric (TGA) response of laundered fabrics.Soft water washing promoted cotton fibre fibrillation independent of detergent type; increased oxidant concentration promoted secondary wall damage. Hard water washing severely damaged fibre secondary walls and significant depositions of calcium ions often as phosphate occurred on fabric. Presence of the flame retardant was observed to have a stabilising fibrillar binding effect which was offset by a secondary wall crack promoting character.

Surface modification of fabrics for improved flash‐fire resistance using atmospheric pressure plasma in the presence of a functionalized clay and polysiloxane

“…However, the PHRR value (112 kW/m 2 ) for Ar‐HMDSO‐treated Proban®‐treated cotton shows a significant reduction (95 kW/m 2 ) after washing. This could arise from pick up of sodium phosphate species from the washing treatment and similar results with respect to slight increases in limiting oxygen index have been reported following washing of normal Proban® cotton fabrics in tripolyphosphate‐based detergents 32. Moreover, the gravimetric data in Table 1 provides evidence of surface polymer retention and SEM micrographs in Fig.…”

Soybean Fibre: A Novel Fibre in the Textile Industry

“…In addition, the flame spread was approximately 70% lower than that of untreated soybean. The effect of laundering on the phosphorus and nitrogen content of treated cotton is well documented (Horrocks et al 1992/Wu et al 2007). In addition, it is known that Pyrovatex CP is bound to cotton by its methylol group with the bonding being highly resistant to hydrolysis (Wu and Yang, 2006).…”

Flame‐retardant properties of soybean fabric modified with N‐methylol diakyl phosphonopropionamide

“…27,28 In addition, it is known that Pyrovatex CP is bound to cotton by its methylol group with the bonding being highly resistant to hydrolysis. 23 However, to our knowledge, the effect of laundering on the fiber surface of flame-retardant fabrics has not been investigated.…”