Technical Textiles Need Flame Retardants – New German Developments

Textiles for the technical domain usually consist of a number of high-tech materials. They are used in many areas, often to replace conventional materials and are quite present as functional and protective clothing. Due to the various areas of application the starting materials have to provide additional functionality such as being flame retardant, antistatic or hydrophobic in addition to basic requirements such as mechanical strength and resistance. This is usually achieved by various forms of refinement and finishing.

Flame protection is indeed one of the key solutions that Weserland realises for its customers. These are typically compounds for carpet back coating with flame retardant and antistatic treatments of aerospace, automotive, rail and object carpets.

The recent development of the Fraunhofer Institute in Würzburg now allows to implement several properties in one procedure. In 2015 scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC in cooperation with research and industry partners have developed a new water-based refining solution. The coating system allows to combine up to six functions in a single step.

Thus they succeeded to overcome the challenge in recipe compilation and at the same time match the often not contractual chemical properties of the textile additives. And they also achieved to simultaneously take into account the different properties of the fibres in the different textiles.

The coating system enables to equip fabrics with hydrophobic, wash-resistant, antistatic, abrasion resistant and antimicrobial properties in one coating process. Designed as a modular system individually tailored functions and property profiles can be configured. The textile industry thus gains a finishing system in a modular fashion – which embraces varied requirements with up to six functions in one coating solution. The modular approach is also a principle with Weserland products – customers receive custom solutions that allow them highly target-oriented planning plus all this in volumes that exactly match their problems.

The advantages of this solution are obvious: fewer process steps in the production, plus lower energy and general production costs. Areas of application range, among others, from air cleaning in public buildings, in hotels to car carpeting. And in addition there are also the mentioned flame-retardant properties available for those textiles that are used i.e. for curtains in large rooms or public facilities.

Photo: auremar