Thermal degradation and burning behaviour of cellulose based and cellulose-silk blended upholstery fabrics

Abstract

This study presents thermal degradation and burning behaviour of cellulose based and cellulose-silk blended upholstery fabrics treated with phosphorus (chemical A) and halogen (chemical B) based flame retardant (FR) chemicals. Char content increased substantially in all samples after treatments. Calculated activation energy (E_a) was found as follows: control cotton(CP), 196.5; cotton+flax (CF), 213.3; and cotton+silk (CS), 254.6 kJ/mol. Calculated E_a after treatment with chemical A and chemical B, respectively, was reduced to: CP, 38.2, 130.6; CF, 96.2, 151.3; and CS, 97.7, 152.0 kJ/mol. Char length, after glow and rate of flame spread, were changed significantly after chemical was applied onto samples. Effect of FR reduced after treated fabrics were washed for 3 repeated cycles; rate of flame spread and char length were significantly lower when compared to control samples. Thus impregnation of FR on cellulose and silk made them force out water vapour under initial burning condition and thereby resisted burning.