Surface Functionalization of Cotton and PC Fabrics Using SiO2 and ZnO Nanoparticles for Durable Flame Retardant Properties

In recent years, the use of functional textiles has attained attention due to their advantageous health and safety issues. Therefore, this study investigated the flame retardancy on cotton (COT) and polyester-cotton (PC) fabrics treated with different concentrations of silica and zinc nanoparticles through a sol-gel finishing technique. FTIR, SEM, and TGA were conducted for the characterization of coated fabric samples. The FTIR and SEM of Pristine and Treated Cotton and PC fabrics illustrated that the SiO2 (silica dioxide) and ZnO (Zinc oxide) nanoparticles were homogeneously attached to the fiber surface, which contributed to the enhancement of the thermal stability. The starting thermal degradation improved from 320 to 350 °C and maximum degradation was observed from 400 to 428 °C for the COT-2 cotton substrate. However, the initial thermal degradation improved from 310 to 319 °C and the highest degradation from 500 to 524 °C for the PC substrate PC-2. The outcomes revealed that the silica has a greater influence on the thermal properties of COT and PC fabric samples. Additionally, the tensile strength and flexural rigidity of the treated samples were improved with an insignificant decrease in air permeability.