A Durable Low-Formaldehyde Flame Retardant Finish for Cotton Fabrics.

The challenge still exists for designing better flame retardant (FR) products and systems to meet the ever-growing needs of the textile market. In particular, there is a growing demand for durable FR finishes for cotton and only a limited number of finishing chemistries available in the market. This study details the development of a new phosphorus-based technology that is easy to apply using current pad! dry/cure textile wet processing technologies and currently available durable press finishes. Once applied, the treatments are durable to numerous home launderings and in some cases even enhance the physical properties of the fabrics over that of non-FR durable press finishing treatments. The effects of various param- eters (e.g., formulations, bath pH, percent add-on, and curing temperatures) are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]