Flame-Retarded Nylon Carpets

Variables affecting nylon carpet flammability were investigated. They included carpet-face yarn construction, face-yarn,additive modifications, and backing materials. Carpets of the looser shag construction or carpets having certain modified face yarns exhibited some increase in flammability, but both carpet types passed the Tablet Test with suitable overall construction. Shag carpets, however, with these chemically modified face yams, generally exhibited frequent Tablet Test failures. Three flame retardants, found stable in molten nylon, were effective in modified shags in converting carpets failing the Tablet Test to carpets consistently passing the test. Similar flame retardant results were also obtained using alumina trihydrate in the carpet latex or by application of polyvinyl chloride to the face side of the primary backing. These studies encompass only the effects of specific changes on carpet flammability and have not been fully evaluated in terms of total carpet performance.