Project description
Eco-friendly, high-performance flame retardant for cellulosic fabrics
The EU-funded PANACEA project deals with the design of bioinspired-polyamidoamine/nanoparticle coatings as high-performing flame retardants (FRs) for cellulosic fabrics. The main purpose is to synthesise environmentally friendly, non-toxic FRs with performances comparable to those of the traditional FRs currently used for cellulosic textiles. The objective is to study novel coatings based on polyamidoamines (PAAs), a family of synthetic water-soluble biocompatible and biodegradable polymers, that are efficient FRs for cotton. PAA preparation is considered green and scalable when carried out in water, at room temperature and without catalysts. Furthermore, the synergism between PAAs and some nanoparticles will be studied for suppressing cotton combustion in the most drastic fire scenarios, guaranteeing a low emission of toxic products.
Objective
PANACEA project dealt with the design of bioinspired-polyamidoamine/nanoparticle coatings as high-performing flame retardants (FRs) for cellulosic fabrics. The main purpose is to synthesize environment-friendly, non-toxic FRs with performances comparable to those of the best traditional FRs currently used for cellulosic textiles. The overall objective is to study novel coatings based on polyamidoamines (PAAs), a family of synthetic water-soluble biocompatible and biodegradable polymers, bearing in their repeating units the same organic functions present in proteins, that were proven efficient FRs for cotton by the PANACEA supervisor. PAA preparation can be considered green and scalable as obtained by stepwise polyaddition of prim- or sec-amines to bisacrylamides in water, at room temperature and with no added catalysts. Furthermore, the synergism between PAAs and some nanoparticles (NPs) will be studied and exploited for i) improving the FR properties of selected PAAs and ii) reducing the final add-on of the most performing PAAs. PAAs with carboxylic or guanidine groups will be combined with layered double hydroxides and zinc borate nanorods in order to suppress cotton combustion in the most drastic fire scenarios, guaranteeing a low emission of combustion products. In parallel, sulphur-based-PAAs will be combined with graphene and graphene oxide with different sizes and oxidation grades. These coatings will be obtained by a water-based finishing treatment of impregnation/exhaustion and/or Layer-by-Layer assembly of biocompatible PAAs and NPs. Both these approaches are easily scalable, hence adaptable to the needs of pre-industrial production, conclusive objective of PANACEA. To this aim, the durability of such treatments will be objective of the project and achieved by initially grafting of FR PAA bearing reactive vinyl terminals through radical reactions in the presence of thermal or redox initiators, and then interacting with specific synergist NPs.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologynanotechnologynano-materialstwo-dimensional nanostructuresgraphene
- natural scienceschemical scienceselectrochemistryelectrolysis
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrytransition metals
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringtextiles
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinator
20122 Milano
Italy