Fire performances comparison of back coating and melt spinning approaches for PET covering textiles

In this study, two fire retardancy ways for polymeric textiles, melt spinning and back coating, were investigated using the same additives. It was found that addition of aluminium phosphinates by melt blending or back coating greatly enhances the fire properties of polyethylene terephthalate fabrics with a sharp decrease in the peak of heat release compared to the virgin thermoplastic. The limiting parameter in the coating process was the use of chemical products (principally polyurethane) that are involved in the combustion of the material and generate a high smoke quantity. On the other hand, fire retarded materials made by melt spinning showed a decrease in the total heat evolved (61% reduction), no increase in released smokes and a higher residual mass compared to virgin PET fabrics. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.