Pyrolysis and combustion of polyester. I. Thermochemistry of poly(1,4-cyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate) treated with selected phosphorus- and halogen-containing flame retardants†

A series of poly(1,4-cyclohexylene dimethylene terephthalate) (PCHDT) fabrics treated with selected phosphorus- and halogen-containing flame retardants has been studied by static oxygen bomb calorimetry. The amount of heat evolved when these fabrics are burned in the open atmosphere has been determined indirectly using calculations based on Hess' law of summation. This heat evolution when corrected for contributions due to burning of the flame retardant appeared to correlate with the efficiency of the flame retardant treatment and was interpretable in terms of mechanisms of flame retardant action. Also, this technique has been applied to blends containing polyester.