A Machine-Braided Flame-Retardant Triboelectric Yarn/Textile for Fireproof Application

With the rapid development of the textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs), it is highly desired to create a simple and cheap fabrication strategy for the T-TENGs with high flame-retardant performances (FRT-TENGs), which can present reliable electrical performance in the fire disaster. In this work, by covering the flame-retardant polyethylene terephthalate filaments around the conductive fiber, a flame-retardant triboelectric yarn is successfully developed through a simple and continuous high-speed braiding process. The obtained composite yarns are further woven into an FRT-TENG, which presents excellent comprehensive performances, including good energy harvesting ability, long-term durability and washability, excellent flame retardancy, and high comfortability. The open-circuit voltage (V-OC) and short-circuit current (I-SC) can reach nearly 12 V and 0.36 mu A, respectively. The FRT-TENG shows a high limiting oxygen index value of 31.3% and self-extinguishing behavior, and still presents high energy output performances after the burning, making it a perfect candidate for intelligent devices with high fireproof ability, such as the smart firefighter uniform and the intelligent carpet for escape direction indication.

Automated summary

With the rapid development of textile-based triboelectric nanogenerators (T-TENGs), a simple and cheap fabrication strategy for flame-retardant T-TENGs (FRT-TENGs) with reliable electrical performance in fire disasters is highly desired. In this work, a flame-retardant triboelectric yarn is successfully developed through a simple and continuous high-speed braiding process. The FRT-TENG exhibits excellent comprehensive performances, including good energy harvesting ability, long-term durability, excellent flame retardancy, and high comfortability.