TITLE:
Fire Self-Extinguishing Cotton Fabric: Development of Piperazine Derivatives Containing Phosphorous-Sulfur-Nitrogen and Their Flame Retardant and Thermal Behaviors
AUTHORS:
Thach-Mien Nguyen, SeChin Chang, Brian Condon, Jade Smith
KEYWORDS:
Flame Retardant, Cotton Twill Fabric, Phosphorus-Nitrogen-Sulfur, Thermogravimetric Analysis-Fourier Transform Infrared (TGA-FTIR), Microscale Combustion Calorimeter (MCC)
JOURNAL NAME:
Materials Sciences and Applications,
Vol.5 No.11,
September
29,
2014
ABSTRACT: Recent
studies have shown interest in flame retardants containing phosphorus, nitrogen
and sulfur a combination small molecule with a promising new approach in
preparing an important class of flame retardant materials. Tetraethyl
piperazine-1,4-diyldiphosphonate (TEPP) and O,O,O’,O’- tetramethyl piperazine-1,4-diyldiphosphonothioate (TMPT), based on
Piperazine derivatives, were prepared successfully and their structures
were proved by means of 1H, 13C and 31P NMR. Cotton
twill fabric was treated with both compounds to provide different add-on
levels. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), microscale combustion calorimeter
(MCC), vertical and 45° flame test and limiting oxygen index (LOI) were
performed on the treated cotton fabrics and showed promising results. When the
treated twill fabrics (5 wt% - 7 wt% add-ons) were tested using the vertical
flammability test (ASTMD6413-11),
we observed that the ignited fabrics self extinguished and left behind a streak
of char. Limiting oxygen index (LOI, ASTM 2863-09) was utilized to determine
the effectiveness of the flame retardant on the treated fabrics. LOI values
increased from 18 vol% oxygen in nitrogen for untreated twill fabric to a
maximum of 30 vol% for the highest add-on of twill. Furthermore, Scanning
Electron Microscope (SEM), Attenuated Total Reflection-Infrared (ATR-IR), and
Thermogravimetric Analysis-Fourier Transform Infrared (TGA-FTIR) spectroscopy
were employed to characterize the chemical structure on the treated fabrics, as
well as, the surface morphology of char areas of treated and untreated fabrics.
Additionally, analysis of the release gas products by TGA-FTIR shows some
distinctive detail in the degradation of the treated fabrics during the burning
process.