Flame Retardants for Cotton Using APO and APS-THPC Resins

Abstract

A new group of polymers made by reacting tris(1-aziridinyl)phosphine oxide, referred to as APO, or tris(1-aziridinyl)phosphine sulfide, referred to as APS, with tetrakis- (hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride, referred to as THPC, are good permanent-type flame retardants for cotton. All three of the compounds are water-soluble crystalline materials. The application of APO- or APS-THPC resins to textiles consists of padding fabric in an aqueous solution of the compounds, drying the fabric, curing it at about 140° C. for about 5 min. to polymerize the compounds, and then rinsing the fabric to remove any unpolymerized material.

About 8% of the resins in 8-oz. cotton twill or sateen is adequate to make the fabric pass the vertical flame test before or after 15 launderings with synthetic detergents, followed by an acid fluoride sour after each laundering. The flame resistance is also very durable to boiling alkaline soap solutions.

The properties of fabric treated with these new polymers are, in general, excellent. The hand and strength of the fabric is only slightly different from that of untreated fabric. The flame-resistant fabrics are resistant to rot and mildew.

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