Recent Developments in Flame Retardants for Cotton Fabrics

Cotton fabrics are widely used in many fields due to their excellent properties. However, the poor thermal stability and flammability of cellulose fibers limit their use in the production of high-performance fire-protective textiles. Many different inorganic and organic flame retardants have been prepared and applied to provide flame retardancy to cellulose fibers. The history of flame retardancy for cellulosic structures goes back to the use of alum in ancient Egypt and Rome about 400-250 BC. Nowadays, cellulose functionalization methods mainly focus on surface modification, such as coating, layer-bylayer, and grafting. Although the main purpose is to prevent burning, flame retardant cotton products should be comfortable, human movement without restriction, be compact and light, strong effect, longevity on resistant to repeated washing, drying, and dry cleaning. However, nowadays, in addition to these features, non-toxic and eco-friendly are also important requirements. There is a clear emphasis on discontinuing the use of halogenated flame retardants in general, partly under pressure from non-governmental organizations. The key issue for risk managers to be concerned with is whether the benefits to both the environment and human health outweigh the risks. The world of cotton flame retardancy has undergone and is still undergoing many evolutions. These evolutions are largely dependent on different “driving forces.” A great deal of effort is continually put into the development of new flame retardants by scientists. Efforts to develop new flame retardants by using alternative methods such as nanoparticle adsorption, layer by layer assembly, and sol-gel processes continue intensively. However, in terms of factors such as eco-friendly and industrial-scale manufacturability, phosphorus-nitrogen systems still remain the most promising, effective and industrializable flame retardants for cotton fabrics. However, efforts to develop more suitable and efficient methods continue. In this chapter, the advantages and disadvantages of these current methods in terms of relevant criteria will be discussed. © 2024 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.