Flame Retardant Behaviour

of Polyelectrolytes
 ▪ Cotton- Low LOI and combustion
temperature (360- 425 °C) - highly
flammable
▪ Halogenated & boron containing
Flame additives used - limitations
retardancy in ▪ Phosphorus based additives were
Textiles successful
▪ Stiffness due to cross -linking
▪ MMT clay mixed into polymeric
materials
 ▪ Nylon, polypropylene, and polylactide
▪ (PU)/MMT, carbon nanotubes
▪ Combustion process - formation of
protective charred ceramic layer
Polymer/ ▪ Even at low clay loadings (2-5 % ) , heat
release reduces by 70-80 %
Clay ▪ By using the LbL assembly, we can create
Systems densely layered nanocomposites and hence
more effective flame retardant materials.
 ▪ An individual MMT platelet is composed of 2 Si (+4)
layers and a Al or Mg layer in between.
▪ The negatively charged surfaces allow MMT platelets to
be incorporated into LbL assemblies when paired with a
positively charged ingredient. Nowadays MMT is
Sodium MMT ▪ deposited with BPEI to generate nanocomposites
Clay in LbL 4 different BPEI-MMT formulations are applied to
▪ cotton - BPEI pH 7 or 10, with MMT at 0.2 wt % or 1
Assembly wt %.
These flame-retardant properties were studied by
▪ thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), vertical flame
testing, and micro combustion calorimetry.
 RESULTS AND
DISCUSSION

Growth and
Structure of
Polymer/Clay
Assemblies
QCM Data for
4 different
films
Cross section
of films and
their
roughness
degree
 FLAME RESISTANCE OF
FABRIC

Flame
resistance of
Fabric
Weight loss as a function of temperature for cotton fabrics coated with 5 BL (a) and 20 BL (b) of 0.1 wt % BPEI (pH 10 and 7) with 0.2 and 1 wt % MMT.
These results were obtained using TGA at a heating rate of 20 °C/min under an air atmosphere.
VERTICAL FLAME
TEST
MICRO COMBUSTION
CALORIMETRY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF
FIBER
 Each substrate was dipped into the ionic deposition mixtures,
alternating between the BPEI (cationic) and MMT (anionic), with
each cycle corresponding to one bilayer. The first dip into each
mixture was for 5 min, beginning with the cationic solution.
Subsequent dips were for 2 min each. Every dip was followed by
LbL rinsing with deionized water and drying with a stream of filtered

deposition air for 30 s each. In the case of the fabrics, the drying step
involved wringing the water out instead of air-drying. After
Method achieving the desired number of bilayers, the coated wafers were
dried with filtered air, whereas the fabrics were dried in an 80 °C
oven for 2 h.
 1. This ppt focuses on various BPEI/MMT thin film
assemblies.
2. All films shows linear growth as the no. of BL deposited.
3. Higher BPEI pH results in thicker assemblies due to low
charge density.
4. After heat treatment, controlled fabric completely
Conclusion combusted while 7-13 % residue was left over for
coated fabric.
5. Afterglow time is significantly reduced for coated one.
6. Lower heat release for coated fabrics, suggesting that
fewer combustible volatiles were generated