ABSTRACT

There are many characteristics inherent to cotton fibers that make them desirable for use in industrial and consumer products. However, other traits constrain cotton utilization, especially when combustibility is an issue. Existing research suggests that phosphorous-based flame-retardants promote the formation of a protective char layer that minimizes the fuel available for flame propagation. In addition to improving processability and a number of mechanical properties, siloxanes have been shown to enhance flame retardant performance in conjunction with conventional flame retardant agents. In this study, new siloxane-phosphonate monomers applied to cotton fabric were characterized for thermal stability using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Flammability testing using the Oxygen Index (OI) apparatus was used to elucidate TGA results.