Enhancing Cotton Fabric Flame Retardancy with Eco-Friendly Graphene Oxide and PCM Microcapsules

The flammability of cotton fabric presents notable safety hazards, underscoring the importance of effective flame-retardant treatments. This research investigates an eco-friendly method to improve the flame resistance of cotton fabric using a combination of graphene oxide and microcapsules containing inorganic eutectic phase change materials with a silica shell. The treated fabrics' morphology and chemical composition were examined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (Attenuated Total Reflectance) (FT-IR ATR) analyses. The findings revealed that graphene oxide significantly enhances the absorption of microcapsules on the cotton fabric surface. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) showed a notable increase in the thermal stability of the treated samples, with a residue of 32 to 35% at 360 °C. Furthermore, vertical flame test results indicated a burning length of 3.33 ± 1.24 mm for the modified fabric, compared to the easily ignitable raw cotton, demonstrating a synergistic effect of graphene oxide and silica shell microcapsules. This enhanced performance is particularly advantageous for applications requiring both improved fire safety and efficient temperature regulation. Our results suggest that this innovative treatment method holds significant potential for advancing the development of safer and more efficient flame-retardant textiles, addressing the critical need for safer textile materials in various applications.