Biopolymer-containing formulations to render acrylic fabrics fire resistant and anti-static

Abstract

A synergy of phytic acid (PA) and proteinic biopolymer, namely keratin and sericin, was adopted to boost the resistance to flame, ultraviolet rays, and electrostatic charges, as well as enhance hydrophilicity of acrylic fabric. An efficient flame retardant (FR) was synthesized by reacting calculated amounts of PA and pentaerythritol (PE) to form hexa-pentaerythritol phytate ester (HPP), which in turn reacted with a proteinic bioplymer in the presence or absence of a crosslinking agent to produce a multifunctional FR formulation. The prepared formulation was utilized as a multifunctional textile auxiliary for improving the resistance of alkali-hydrolyzed acrylic fabric to flame and UV rays and for enhancing its hydrophilic and anti-static properties. The solubility of the prepared formulation in different solvents at different temperatures was examined. The chemical structure of the synthesized functional FR was investigated using FTIR and by determining its phosphorus, nitrogen, and carboxylic contents. The mechanism of reaction between the synthesized FR and the hydrolyzed fabric was proposed. The discrepancy between the topography of the treated and untreated fabrics was monitored using scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed that the treated acrylic fabric exhibited a durable and superior resistance to flame, which was not adversely affected by washing up to 20 times. The anti-static property and wettability of the treated fabrics were highly improved, whereas their resistance to the deteriorative action of UV rays was enhanced to an almost adequate level. The proposed process is an additive method for improving some performance and comfort attributes of acrylic fabric without causing severe loss in the fabric’s strength.