Darrell J. Donaldson

Smoldering Phenomenon Associated with Cotton

Treated cotton batting is examined as a substrate for cotton upholstered furniture. Evaluation of the smoldering hazard includes the tests proposed by UFAC and NBS, together with smoldering rates and surface temperature profiles obtained using the SRRC Rate Chamber. The influence of washing on the smoldering behavior of cotton is discussed. Problem salts are identified.

A Durable Flame Retardant Finish for Cotton Based On Thpc and Urea

Sodium phosphate salts catalyzed the reaction of THPC with urea. Cotton textiles treated with a solution containing 26.6% THPC, 8.4% urea, 4% dibasic sodium phosphate and sufficient NaOH to adjust the pH to 6, dried 85°C and cured at 160°C for 1 to 2 minutes passed the DOC FF 3-71 flame test after 50 laundry cycles. The samples retained 90 and 65-70% of their breaking and tearing strength respectively without the use of softeners

Differential thermal analysis of polyester/cotton blends treated with Thpc—urea—poly(vinyl bromide)

Abstract Differential thermal analyses (DTA) were made on a series of polyester/cotton blend fabrics before and after treatment with Thpc—urea—poly(vinyl bromide). This flame retardant did not affect the polyester melting endotherm, which was proportional to the polyester content and appeared at approximately 250°C. In nitrogen atmosphere, DTA of the treated blends showed exothermic peaks at 285°C for the cotton decomposition. and at 415°C for the polyester decomposition. In air, DTA of the treated blends showed exothermic peaks at 333°C for cellulose decomposition, at 431°C for polyester decomposition and at 490°C for char decomposition. The Thpc-urea component of the flame retardant is effective on the cotton cellulose portion of the blend; the poly(vinyl bromide) appears to decompose and act in the vapor state on the polyester.

Smoldering Characteristics of Cotton Upholstery Fabrics1

One of the most important parameters in the development of mechanism or model for smoldering is the propagation velocity of the smoldering wave front. This paper describes a method and apparatus for measuring the tendency of cotton-containing upholstery fabrics to smolder in terms of smolder wave-front velocity. Variables affecting this rate are identified and their degree of influence determined.

Imparting Smolder-Resistance to Cotton Upholstery Fabric

A number of polymeric materials were examined to evaluate their effectiveness in imparting smolder resistance to cotton upholstery fabrics. Among the factors examined were air permeability, fabric weight, viscosity of the backcoating formulation, positioning of the cigarette, and substrate used in the test panels. Several inorganic and organic compounds were evaluated as possible smolder-resistance agents for incorporation in latex backcoatings.

THPC-Cyanamide Flame-Retardant Finish for Sleepwear Cotton 1

Previous work at the Southern Division has shown that THPC-cyanamide reacts in the presence of phosphoric acid to impart durable flame retardancy to cotton textiles. However, the strength of the treated fabric is reduced considerably. This paper reports on a new improved formulation which contains dibasic sodium phosphate instead of phosphoric aicd. When this finish is applied to sleepwear, such as flannelette, durable flame resistance, together with good strength reten tion, is obtained. The effect of dibasic sodium phosphate concentration, mole ratio of reactants, and curing time on the durability and physical properties of the treated fabric are discussed.

Controlled Add-On to Reduce Upholstery Ignition1

A method of imparting smolder resistance to cotton upholstery fabrics with conventional finishing equipment and with minimum wet pick-up to reduce energy consumption is described. Borax is dissolved by an acidic compound and is applied together with a nitrogenous resin such as methylated methylolmelamine to cotton fabrics by the loop-transfer technique. The effect of placement of treatment, fabric weight, and the addition of latex on smoldering are examined. Properties such as colorfastness, strength, air permeahility, and abrasion resistance are reported.