Recent developments and challenges in flame retardation of textiles and fibres

Almost 50 years ago, the 1950-1960 period witnessed the development of the chemistry underlying most of today's successful and durable flame retardant treatments for fibres and textiles. In today's more critical markets in terms of environmental sustainability, chemical toxicological acceptability, performance and cost, many of these are now being questioned. "Are there potential replacements for established, durable formaldehyde-based flame retardants such as those based on tetrakis (hydroxylmethyl) phosphonium salt and alkyl-substituted, N-methylol phosphonopropionamide chemistries for cellulosic textiles?" is an often-asked question. "Can we produce char-forming polyester flame retardants?" and "Can we really produce effective halogen-free replacements for coatings and back-coated textiles?" are others. These questions are addressed initially within the context of a historical review of research undertaken in the second half of the twentieth century which is the basis of most currently available, commercialised flame retardant fibres and textiles. Secondly, research reported during the first decade of the twenty first century and which primarily addresses the current issues of environmental sustainability and the search for alternative flame retardant solutions, the need to increase char-forming character in synthetic fibres and the current interest in nanotechnology are critically discussed. The possible roles of micro- and nano-surface treatments of fibre surfaces and their development using techniques such as plasma technology and layer-by-layer and sol gel chemistries are also reviewed