Flame retardant PET fabric

In a new work, biobased components, namely gelatin, phytic acid and sodium montmorillonite, are employed to assemble an organic-inorganic hybrid coating capable of endowing the PET fabric with flame and smoke suppression abilities. A simple and easy to scale-up assembly method, derived from the layer-by-layer deposition technique, has been employed.

Development of fire-safe materials

The coated fabrics exhibit rapid self-extinguishing behavior during flame spread tests. Cone calorimetry shows a conspicuous reduction in the peak of heat release rate (pkHRR −58 %) and total smoke release (TSR −63 %). A micro-intumescent behavior supported by a clay rich inorganic layer is found as the main flame retardant mechanism. According to the researchers, the novel use of sustainable biobased components provides a new effective strategy for the development of fire-safe materials.

The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 200, March 2025.