Texas A&M develops one-step flame retardant for cotton
Summary
“Many of the materials in our day-to-day lives are flammable, and offering a solution to protect from fire benignly is difficult,” said Maya D. Montemayor, a graduate student in the Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M and the publication’s lead author. “This technology can be optimised to quickly, easily, and safely flame retard many flammable materials, offering vast protection in everyday life, saving money and lives of the general population.” Current studies developing flame retardant coatings deposited via polyelectrolyte complexation require two or more steps, increasing the time and cost to coat a material effectively. The researchers will continue evaluating this technology in partnership with companies in hopes of using their findings to protect wood, fabric, foam, and other textiles. “The scope of this research positively impacts our community by improving our safety in an environmentally benign manner. TEES is licensing this and similar technologies to companies for various applications.” Other contributors to the findings include Texas A&M graduate students Danixa Rodriguez-Melendez, Dallin L. Smith, Natalie A. Vest and Bethany Palen, and Texas A&M undergraduate students Edward Chang and Alexandra V. Moran.