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ARS Home » Southeast Area » New Orleans, Louisiana » Southern Regional Research Center » Cotton Chemistry and Utilization Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #270057

Title: The flame retardant properties of cyanuric chloride derivatives in cotton textile applications

Author
item Easson, Michael
item Yoshioka-Tarver, Megumi
item Nguyen, Monique
item Chang, Sechin
item Condon, Brian

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/12/2011
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Cyanuric chloride derivatives are promising flame retardants in cotton textile applications due to their ease of synthesis, high yield, and excellent flame retardant properties as measured by thermogravimetric analyses, limiting oxygen index, and vertical flame testing. Scanning electron microscopic images confirmed the flame retardant properties of cyanuric chloride derivatives and elemental analyses determined the phosphorus/nitrogen and phosphorus/chlorine ratios present in treated fabrics. Our research has found that the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen in the flame retardant can be reduced if a catalytic amount of unreacted chlorine is retained when the cyanuric chloride derivative is covalently bonded to cotton fabric. Furthermore, our research has determined that the flame retardant properties of the treated fabric are reduced after repeated launderings due to the change in the phosphorus/chlorine ratio, despite the insignificant loss of covalently bonded flame retardant.