Morphological Studies on Fabrics Treated with Flame-Retardant Finishes

Abstract

The surface features of an untreated 70/30 cotton/polyester fabric and of the same fabric treated with the flame retar dants APO-THPC, THPC-MM-urea, or THPOH-NH3 were compared by scanning electron microscopy. Little, if any, sign of the finish was observed on the APO-THPC-treated fabric. However, the presence of finish was evident along the sides of cotton fibers in the THPC-MM-urea finished fabric, and in the THPOH-NH3-treated material the finish could be seen on the entire surface. All fabrics were also examined after they had been burned. Marked differ ences were noted in the products obtained from the burning. Particles were seen on charred APO-THPC-finished fabric and on charred THPC-MM-urea-finished fabric, with the latter material containing a markedly greater number of particles than the former. In contrast, the charred THPOH-NH3-finished fabric contained no particles, and the surface was characterized by the presence of matter in the form of bubbies.

SEM Studies of the Chars of Flame-Retardant Treated Fabrics

“…On the other hand, in the case of a polymeric finish, it appears that the higher the add-on, the thicker will be the coating that provides flame retardancy. The observation that increasing thickness of polymeric layer provides a better flame retardancy (in polymeric system) substantiates the mechanism of flame retardancy proposed by Tomioka and co-workers [7]. ' It can be further argued that polymeric finishes may exert their action by a dual mechanism, which may be operating simultaneously.…”

“…B Scanning electron microscope (SEM) examinations based on polymeric flame-retardent (FR) finishes have been reported by Goynes et al [3] and Tomioka and co-workers [7]. In these studies the char obtained by burning the fabrics treated with THPOH-NH3 showed the presence of a thick coating, as well as blisters, on the surface.…”

Polymer applications

“…Fiber finishes have been observed by SEM of fiber surfaces [26] and in cross section by using x-ray techniques in the SEM [27]. Preparations are simple (Section 4.1.2) and are generally followed by the application of a conductive coating (Section 4.7.3).…”