Flame-Retardant Cotton Fabric Prepared by Admicellar Polymerization of a Phosphorus-Containing Monomer Using a Cationic Surfactant

Abstract

  A flame-retardant coating was developed on cotton fabric through admicellar polymerization of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) using cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) as a cationic surfactant. The adsorption behavior of CPC on cotton fabric was investigated at 30 and 60 °C to determine suitable conditions for admicellar polymerization. The adsorption of CPC increased with increasing temperature and a critical micelle concentration (CMC) of approximately 0.65 mM was obtained. Cotton fabrics coated at 60 °C exhibited higher phosphorus content than fabrics coated at 30 °C, indicating enhanced polymer deposition. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed increased char formation and modified thermal degradation behavior in treated fabrics. The onset degradation temperature decreased due to phosphorus-catalyzed dehydration, whereas the char yield increased significantly. Auto-flammability tests demonstrated substantial improvement in flame retardancy, and the treated fabric containing 7.8 mg phosphorus g⁻¹ cotton exhibited self-extinguishing behavior. The flame-retardant effect was retained after home laundering. The results demonstrate that admicellar polymerization is an effective technique for producing durable phosphorus-containing flame-retardant coatings on cotton fabric.