Advanced multifunctional fabrics enabled by bioinspired coatings

  • Sourabh Kulkarni
  • , Julie St. Cry
  • , Ryan Bouldin
  • , Zhiyu Xia
  • , Jayant Kumar
  • , Ravi Mosurkal
  • , Ramaswamy Nagarajan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle

Abstract

The demand for textiles with functional properties has been increasing over the past few decades, driven by both civilian and military applications. In this study, we present a method to impart flame retardant (FR) and insect repellent (IR) properties to nylon-cotton blends. Flame retardancy was achieved by covalently attaching phytic acid, a bio-derived material, to the hydroxyl groups of cotton in nyco fabrics. Subsequently, these FR-treated nyco fabrics were coated with an acylate-based monomer along with permethrin to confer insect-repellent properties. FTIR-ATR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of weight of phytic acid on nyco fabric and the weight gain from this was 6 % with respect to initial fabric weight. The multifunctional fabrics exhibited a 200 % increase in char formation upon thermal degradation compared to untreated nyco. Moreover, the multifunctional fabrics demonstrated self-extinguishing properties with a char length of <15 cm, whereas untreated fabrics burned completely. In cone calorimeter experiments, FR-treated fabrics showed a reduction of over 25 % in total heat release compared to untreated controls. The addition of FR facilitates char formation and the release of non-flammable gases such as water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and ammonia (NH3), suggesting a condensed phase mechanism of FR action as evident from TGA-FTIR evolved gas analysis. The insect repellent properties (IR) were evaluated using a tube test method as described by the World Health Organization, revealing a knockdown rate exceeding 98 % for fabrics treated with insect repellent.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)108737
JournalProgress in Organic Coatings
Volume197
DOIs
StatePublished - 2024

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Advanced multifunctional fabrics enabled by bioinspired coatings'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this