Polyurethane wool powder-coated cotton and polyester fabrics for flame retardant properties

This study aims to create fire-resistant performance of polyurethane (PU)-coated textiles by adding wool powder as a flame retardant on both cotton and polyester fabrics. A flame-retardant surface was therefore developed by coating the fabrics with a mixture of PU and wool powder and characterised by using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The experimental results demonstrated that with a coating thickness of 0.5 mm onwards, an improvement in the fire-resistant properties is observed. Unlike fabrics coated only with PU, the addition of wool powder allows the fabrics to resist the flame at 5 and 10 s. Water and air permeability properties of the coated fabrics were also evaluated and show interesting and complementary results. Integration of wool powder as a flame retardant is a promising approach to develop fire-resistant fabrics that can lead to wide applications in fire protection and safety.