Treated textile material and process for producing the same

An article comprising:

• (a) a textile material, the textile material comprising a plurality of textile fibers, each of the textile fibers having a surface;
• and
• (b) a flame retardant, phosphorus-containing polymer disposed on at least a portion of the surface of at least a portion of the textile fibers, wherein the flame retardant, phosphorous containing polymer is produced by a process comprising the steps of:
• (1) providing a phosphonium compound comprising at least one phosphonium moiety, the phosphonium moiety conforming to the structure of Formula (I)
• wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C3 alkyl, C1-C3 haloalkyl, C2-C3 alkenyl, and C2-C3 haloalkenyl;
• (2) providing a nitrogen-containing cross-linking compound, the nitrogen-containing cross-linking compound comprising two or more nitrogen-hydrogen bonds;
• (3) reacting the phosphonium compound and the nitrogen-containing cross-linking compound in a condensation reaction to produce a first intermediate polymer, the first intermediate polymer comprising a plurality of phosphorus atoms;
• and
• (4) oxidizing the first intermediate polymer to convert at least a portion of the phosphorus atoms in the first intermediate polymer to a pentavalent, phosphine oxide state, thereby producing a flame-retardant, phosphorus-containing polymer comprising a plurality of phosphorus atoms having functional groups attached thereto;
• and
• wherein 10% or less of the functional groups attached to the phosphorus atoms in the flame retardant, phosphorus-containing polymer are hydroxyalkyl groups.

A process for producing a treated textile material, the process comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a textile material, the textile material comprising a plurality of textile fibers, each of the textile fibers having a surface;
• (b) providing a treatment composition, the treatment composition comprising:
• (i) a phosphonium compound comprising at least one phosphonium moiety, the phosphonium moiety conforming to the structure of Formula (I)
• wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C3 alkyl, C1-C3 haloalkyl, C2-C3 alkenyl, and C2-C3 haloalkenyl;
• and
• (ii) a nitrogen-containing cross-linking compound, the nitrogen-containing cross-linking compound comprising two or more nitrogen-hydrogen bonds;
• (c) placing the treatment composition in a reservoir where the treatment composition is heated to a temperature sufficient for the phosphonium compound and the nitrogen-containing cross-linking compound to begin to react in a condensation reaction to produce a phosphorus-containing polymer;
• (d) circulating the treatment composition from the reservoir through a passage to produce a circulating flow of the treatment composition;
• (e) passing the textile material through the circulating flow of treatment composition so that the textile material is entrained in the flow and circulated through the treatment composition in the reservoir;
• and
• (f) allowing the textile material to circulate through the reservoir for an amount of time sufficient for the phosphorus-containing polymer to deposit on at least a portion of the surface of at least a portion of the textile fibers, thereby producing a treated textile material.