ABSTRACT
Among the various functional nishing of textile substrates, ame-retardant nishing is important as it directly relates to human health and hazards. Cellulosic, lignocellulosic, and protein-based natural bers, such as cotton, ax, ramie, jute, silk, and wool, are mostly used in apparels and home furnishings. Thermoplastic synthetic bers, such as polyester, nylon, acrylic, and even to some extent polypropylene, are also used for similar applications. Unlike in the case of natural bers, the situation is more complex for such thermoplastic bers, as they shrink, melt, and burn in contact with the ame. Although their combustion temperatures are quite high (450°C-550°C), however, they, being thermoplastic in nature, rst shrink and then melt in the temperature range of 165°C-265°C. The shrinking of a fabric and dripping of molten polymer can cause different degrees of skin burning. Besides their apparel and home-furnishing applications, both natural and synthetic bers are also used in hotels, hospitals, automobiles, railways, and airways as tapestries and upholstery. For apparel and home textiles, mostly cotton is preferred due to its advantages of
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 51 3.2 Mechanism of Flame-Retardant Finishing of Textiles ........................................................... 53 3.3 Traditional Flame-Retardant Finishing of Textiles ................................................................ 53
3.3.1 Imparting Flame Retardancy to Cotton......................................................................54 3.3.1.1 Borax and Boric Acid Mixture ....................................................................54 3.3.1.2 Nitrogen-and Phosphorous-Based Chemicals .............................................54 3.3.1.3 Antimony-and Halogen-Based Chemicals .................................................. 55
3.3.2 Imparting Flame Retardancy to Jute .......................................................................... 56 3.3.3 Imparting Flame Retardancy to Wool ........................................................................60 3.3.4 Imparting Flame Retardancy to Thermoplastic Fibers ..............................................60
