Possible phosphorus/halogen synergism in flame retardant textile backcoatings

Selected phosphorus/halogen flame retardant synergisms on cotton fabric substrates have been modelled using simple salt mixtures (sodium bromide and diammonium phosphate) and backcoating formulations based on combinations of ammonium polyphosphate, melamine phosphate and cyclic phosphonate with decabromodiphenyl oxide and/or hex abromocyclododecane and utilizing a chlorinated binder system. The results obtained suggest that there is a possibility of synergism as observed by limiting oxygen index. Linear modelling of the results suggests that the optimum phosphorus mole fraction occurs in the region of 0.15 to 0.45. Linear regression of the data shows an improved regression fit with the inclusion of an interaction term suggesting that there is a synergistic interaction taking place. Copyright (C) 2002 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.