Process for imparting flame retardancy to fabrics
AssigneeScience Applications, Inc.
InventorsMadeline S. Toy, Roger S. Stringham
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for effecting flame retardation of fibrous structures, such as fabrics, particularly fabrics made from mixtures of natural and synthetic fibers, such as cotton and nylon. The process includes the steps of contacting the fabric to be treated with halomonomers and/or inorganic salts, followed by fluorocarbon grafting, and then by photohalogenation. The aforesaid treatment results in fabrics which are not only flame resistant but also have improved hand, manifested by softness, silkiness, and unwettability of the resulting fabric.
Claims11
A process for imparting improved flame retardation, hand and hydrophobicity to a fibrous structure which comprises contacting said structure with a member selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline earth inorganic salts and halogenated organic monomers and then subjected the resulting structure to fluorination by a covalent fluoride in gaseous form.
A process for imparting improved flame retardation, and hydrophobicity to a fibrous structure which comprises, sequentially,
- (a) contacting said structure with a member selected from the group consisting of alkali and alkaline earth inorganic salts and halogenated organic monomers;
- (b) then contacting the resulting structure with a fluorocarbon in gaseous form while exposing the structure to ultraviolet radiation at a temperature and for a time sufficient to cause grafting of the fluorocarbon on to the structure, and
- (c) contacting the resulting structure with a covalent fluoride in gaseous form while exposing the resulting structure to ultraviolet radiation at a temperature and for a time sufficient to effect reaction with the resulting structure.
A process in accordance with claim 9 wherein the ratio of nylon to cotton is about 50/50.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.