Flame-retardant fabric systems based on electrospun polyamide/boric acid nanocomposite fibers

Abstract

To examine the feasibility of developing flame-retardant-textile coated fabric systems with electrospun polyamide/boric acid nanocomposites, fiber webs coated on cotton substrates were developed to impart-fire retardant properties. The morphology of the polyamide/boric acid nanocomposite fibers was examined with scanning electron microscopy. The flame-retardant properties of coated fabric systems with different nanoparticle contents were assessed. The flame retardancy of the boric acid coated fabric systems was evaluated quantitatively with a flammability test apparatus fabricated on the basis of Consumer Product Safety Commission 16 Code of Federal Regulations part 1610 standard and also by thermogravimetric analysis. The 0.05 wt % boric acid nanocomposite fiber web coated on pure cotton fabric exhibited an increment in flame-spreading time of greater than 80%, and this indicated excellent fire protection. Also, the coated fabric systems with 0.05% boric acid nanocomposite fiber webs exhibited a distinct shift in the peak value in the thermal degradation profile and a 75% increase in char formation in the thermooxidative degradation profile, as indicated by the results of thermogravimetric analysis. The results show the feasibility of successfully imparting flame-retardant properties to cotton fabrics through the electrospinning of the polymer material with boric acid nanoparticles. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.