Multifunctional flame-retardant and thermal insulating coatings for polyester/cotton fabrics

The integration of thermal insulation and flame retardancy into polyester/cotton (T/C) textiles has been a longstanding challenge in the development of high-performance protective fabrics. Researchers have addressed this issue by creating a multifunctional coating system that combines thermo-expandable microspheres (TEM) with an ammonium polyphosphate (APP)-based intumescent flame-retardant (IFR) system. The coating is applied via a polyacrylate-based surface treatment, forming a protective layer on T/C fabrics.

The coated fabrics demonstrated significantly reduced thermal conductivity, with values of 0.07656 and 0.07194 W/m·K for T/C@TEM/APP and T/C@TEM/IFR, respectively, compared to 0.12980 W/m·K for uncoated fabrics. This improvement is attributed to the low thermal conductivity of the expanded TEM particles. Additionally, the fabrics achieved excellent flame-retardant performance. T/C@TEM/APP fabrics exhibited a high limiting oxygen index of 29.6 %, meeting the B1 flammability classification, while T/C@TEM/IFR fabrics showed further enhanced flame resistance due to the synergistic effects of the IFR system.

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Enhanced fire protection and thermal management

TG-IR and char residue analyses revealed that the flame-retardant efficiency arises from interactions in both the gas and condensed phases, ensuring comprehensive protection. The coated fabrics’ reduced damaged length of 10.3 cm further highlights their effectiveness. With their soft, lightweight structure and energy-saving potential, these multifunctional coatings offer promising applications in protective clothing and insulation materials.

This innovation demonstrates a scalable solution for safer and more efficient flame-retardant textiles, combining advanced thermal management with reliable fire protection.

Source: Cheng, X.-W., Liu, L., Yang, J.-H., Tao, K., & Guan, J.-P. (2025). Thermal insulation and fire protection of polyester/cotton fabrics via expandable microsphere-intumescent flame retardant coatings. Progress in Organic Coatings, 109781. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2025.109781

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