A Combination of Red Phosphorus-Zinc Chloride for Flame-Retardancy of a Cotton Fabric

In this investigation, the combination of red phosphorus with zinc chloride was found to be effective for flame-retardancy of a pure cotton fabric. The fabrics were dipped in individual aqueous suspensions of red phosphorous and/or the zinc chloride; meanwhile, some sets were impregnated with appropriate admixed solutions of both chemicals. The vertical flame spread test was accomplished to characterize the flammability of the specimens. A suitable synergistic effect was then experienced by using an admixed bath containing 0.15 formal red phosphorous and 0.15 formal zinc chloride solutions to impart flame-retardancy to a cotton fabric. The optimum mass of the mixture required to donate flame-retardancy was about 5.6 g anhydrous additives per 100 g fabric. The results obtained are mainly in favor of Free Radical Theory.