PET fabric treated with environmental-friendly phosphorus-based compounds for enhanced flame retardancy, thermal stability and anti-dripping performance

Poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fabric is ubiquitous in daily life; however the flammability of PET poses a risk for fire events. In this work, a P, N and Si tri-element flame retardant was prepared containing synthetic flame retardant bis-phosphonomethyl-aminomethyl phosphonic acid (BPMAEPA) and 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (KH-570). The flame retardant was applied to PET fabric by the pad-dry-cure (PDC) process. The results showed that the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of the treated PET fabric could be increased to 33.5, and the melt-dripping was eliminated. The total heat release (THR) was significantly decreased during combustion because of the dual-phase flame retardant mechanism of the coatings. Moreover, the residue char was increased by 78%, and the CO2/CO ratio was decreased by 73% as determined by the cone calorimetry test. In addition, the amount of combustible products produced during the thermal decomposition process were effectively reduced. This work offers a novel methodology for the fabrication of flame retardant PET fabric with exceptional flame retardancy, thermal stability and anti-dripping performance.