Behavior of an Intumescent System for Flame Retardant Materials Coated on Polypropylene Textiles

Abstract

The use of flammable materials in house interiors, building or public transport constitutes a potential hazard for people in case of fire. The need for consumer protection, coupled with the new regulations and environmental concerns, increases the interest in flame-retardant treatments, in particular intumescent systems. The aim of this work was to develop innovative synthetic textiles, bonded with flame-retardant back-coating at laboratory scale, and to develop a methodology to study the fire behavior of these kinds of materials. Our work points out the differences in fire behavior of polypropylene textile structures in comparison with plastics. Fire behavior was validated on cone calorimeter equipment. As a consequence, this study shows how after reducing the rate of heat release, which is one of the parameters of the new regulations, polypropylene fibers can be used for flame retardant materials.

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