Thermal degradation behaviour of aromatic polyamide fiber blended with cotton fiber

The flammability behaviour of a blend fabric cannot be predicted from the flammability characteristics of its component fibers because of the physical or chemical interaction of the thermal degradation products of the blend during heating or combustion. In order to consider the design of flame retardant fabrics from blends of cotton as a flammable fiber and aromatic polyamide fiber as a nonflammable fiber, the thermal degradation of each and blends of fiber has been studied using a conventional dynamic thermogravimetric technique in a flowing air atmosphere at several heating rates. Quantitative data are presented which pinpoint how the thermal degradation behaviour of this blend differs from that of the components. Comparison of the thermogravimetric curves and calculated kinetic parameters indicates that interactions occur faintly between the cotton and aromatic polyamide components in the blends. The thermogravimetric analysis data show three degradation stages in an air atmosphere. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.