Flame Retardant and Antimicrobial Ligno-cellulosic Fabric using Sodium Metasilicate Nonahydrate

Abstract

Flame retardant and antimicrobial functionalities were imparted in ligno-cellulosic jute textiles using sodium Metasilicate nonahydrate (SMSN), commonly known as “water glass”. SMSN was applied on a jute fabric in different concentrations by padding method followed by drying. Flame retardancy of the fabric was evaluated by Limiting Oxygen Index (LOI) and by the burning behaviour, including the char length under a vertical flammability tester. The burning rate was found to decrease by almost 10 times after application of 2% SMSN compared to that observed with the control jute fabric. Thermogravimetry (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis of both the control and the treated jute fabrics were conducted to understand the mechanism of developed flame retardancy in jute fabric. It was observed that the SMSN treated samples showed an excellent antimicrobial property against both the gram positive and the gram negative bacteria. The antimicrobial properties of both the control and the treated jute fabrics were also measured quantitatively.