Localized radiation grafting of flame retardants to poly(ethylene terephthalate). I. Bromine‐containing monomers

Abstract

SynopsisVinyl bromide was used as a model for bromine-containing flame retardants in developing methodology for localizing flame retardants either on the surface of the filament, uniformly throughout it, or predominantly a t the core. SEM-x-ray microprobe techniques were used in the verification of the location of the flame retardant in the filament. The flame retardance efficiency of PVBr was then correlated with its location in the filament. Grafting other bromine-containing flame retardants showed a wide range of efficiencies which depended not only upon the location of the graft within the filament but also upon the structure of the compound. For the various bromine homopolymer grafts, the apparent thermal stability of the graft and its flame retardance efficiency may be simply related to the alpha aliphatic hydrogen-to-bromine ratio. The lower this ratio is, the higher the efficiency. VBr copolymers and terpolymers showed wider variation in flame retardance efficiencies. This is attributed to large variations in melt viscosity of the different grafted materials. The grafts showed only small changes in their melting points and minimal changes in tenacity and stiffness. However, grafting induced large increases in the elongation.

Poly(ethyl acrylate) surface-initiated ATRP grafting from wood pulp cellulose fibers

“…Concerning cellulose fibers, graft copolymerization has several actual and potential applications in textile and paper industry such as improvement of soil release and fabric comfort (Williams & Stannett, 1976;Williams & Stannett, 1979), reduction of hydrophilicity, resistance to abrasion and heat (Walsh, Siahkolah, & Rutherford, 1969), flame retardancy (Liepins, Surles, Morosoff, & Stannett, 1977a;Liepins, Surles, Morosoff, Stannett, & Barker, 1977b;Liepins et al, 1978), antibacterial activity (Lee, Koepsel, Morley, & Matyjaszewski, 2004;Vigo, 1998). In addition cellulose fibers graft copolymers have been widely experimented in natural fibers reinforced composites in order to optimize the adhesion between the matrix and the fibers and overcome the usual problems of incompatibility between the hydrophilic natural phase and the hydrophobic synthetic phase (Bledzki & Gassan, 1999;Bledzki, Reihmane, & Gassan, 1996).…”

Durable flame‐retardant treatment of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and PET/cotton blend using dichlorotribromophenyl phosphate as new flame retardant for polyester

“…However, the finish with TBPP was withdrawn due to its mutagenic and carcinogenic properties, despite its excellent performance and easy application. Developments of new flame retardants based on halogen and/or phosphorous compounds and the applications of previously known chemicals for PET fibers were extensively investigated,2–4 for example, condensation polymers of bisphenols and phosphorodichloridates,5 polyphosphoroamides,6 polyvinylbromide,7 meso‐1,2,3,4‐tetrabromobutane,8, 9 antimony oxide with brominated polycarbonate or decabromodiphenyl‐ oxide,10, 11 and so forth.…”

Flame-retardant polyester

“…11 Several comparative studies of the effectiveness of aromatic vs. aliphatic brominated compounds have been published. [12][13][14] The superiority of the aromatic compounds in flame-retarding capability is now well established.…”