Producing safer, more environmentally friendly fire-resistant fabrics

Firefighter suits are not the only application for fire-resistant fabrics. Curtains, upholstery, and other textiles can be made from fireproof materials or finished with fire-retardant chemicals. However, the added chemicals are often toxic to people or the environment.

Heesemann et al. developed an industry-scalable finishing method that introduces safer, bio-hybrid flame retardants to the fabric. They employed anchor peptides and a continuously mixed finish to ensure the flame retardants’ integration.

“Many of the currently used additives are based on halogens, such as bromides, chlorides, or antimony,” said author Rahel Heesemann. “They are carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, bioaccumulatory, and toxic to aquatic substances.”

Newly introduced bio-hybrid flame retardants are heavier than conventional additives and sink to the bottom of the textile. To address the challenge of incorporating the retardants, the authors applied an aqueous solution with bifunctional anchor peptides.

“Anchor peptides are a highly diverse class of small amphipathic peptides that selectively bind with high binding strength to a broad portfolio of different materials and surfaces,” Heesemann said. “Bifunctional peptides consist of two anchor peptides; one anchor peptide binds specifically to a surface (e.g. textiles), and the other anchor peptide interacts selectively with the desired functional units (e.g. flame retardant additives). Using a finish with anchor peptides leads to higher resistance against washing and other environmental influences.”

With the anchor peptides and continuously mixed solution, the authors proved they were able to fireproof textiles in a safer, more environmentally friendly way. Together with industry partners, they ensured their novel method is scalable.

Source: “Development of a process for flame retardant coating of textiles with bio-hybrid anchor peptides,” by Rahel Heesemann, Isa Bettermann, Roshan Paul, Milena Rey, Thomas Gries, Lilin Feng, Ulrich Schwaneberg, and Claus Hummelsheim, Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A (2023). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0002776 .