Cotton, while easily ignitable, is one of the most popular fabrics because of its comfort and breathability. Researchers from Texas A&M University have found a method that reduces cotton’s flammability in just one step by coating it with a polyelectrolyte complex. This customizable coating can be applied to various textiles, including those used in clothing and furniture, and it can be easily scaled up using the traditional pad-dry technique, making it ideal for industrial applications. This breakthrough has the potential to greatly enhance safety for both properties and lives.
“Many everyday materials are flammable, and developing a safe way to provide fire resistance is a significant challenge,” said Maya D. Montemayor, a graduate student from the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M and the study’s lead author. “This technology can be adjusted to quickly and effectively retard flames on numerous flammable materials, delivering substantial safety advantages while conserving resources and saving lives.”
Traditionally, creating flame-retardant coatings using polyelectrolyte complexation requires two or more steps, which can increase both the time and costs associated with applying a viable coating.
In contrast, this recent research, published in ACS Applied Polymer Materials, seeks to achieve similar results using only a single step. The researchers address the issue by utilizing a volatile base, which evaporates under normal conditions. By using ammonia as this base, it lowers the pH upon evaporation, facilitating complexation (the chemical formation of a stable complex) on the cotton’s surface. Although this approach was previously proposed, it had not been applied to create a flame-retardant treatment until now.
This study establishes a foundation for the efficient application of polyelectrolyte-based flame-retardant coatings in a way that can be easily scaled. Importantly, the technology is water-based and non-toxic, setting it apart from many traditional flame-retardant solutions.
The researchers plan to further develop this technology in partnership with industry experts to enhance the safety of materials such as wood, fabric, foam, and other textiles.
“This cutting-edge research positions Texas A&M as a leader in this technology and opens doors for more collaborations with industry partners,” noted Dr. Jaime Grunlan, the Leland T. Jordan ’29 Chair Professor in the J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M. “The benefits of this research are significant for our community, as it improves safety in a sustainable manner. TEES is currently working on licensing this technology and similar innovations to various companies for a range of uses.”
Other contributors to this research include Texas A&M graduate students Danixa Rodriguez-Melendez, Dallin L. Smith, Natalie A. Vest, and Bethany Palen, along with undergraduate students Edward Chang and Alexandra V. Moran.
This research received funding from the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), the university’s approved research agency focused on engineering pursuits.
