“Castor oil-based UV-curable coatings for flame-retardant and water-repellent textiles”

The modern textile industry has witnessed a significant increase in demand for eco-friendly and multifunctional fabrics. This has prompted the exploration of bio-based coatings that offer enhanced safety properties, such as flame retardancy and water repellency. However, there is a dearth of research addressing the integration of renewable materials with these advanced protective attributes. The present study explores the coating of cotton, acrylic, wool, and linen fabrics with acrylated epoxy castor oil (AECO) and acrylated 9,10-dihydro-9-oxa-10-phosphaphenanthrene-10-oxide (DOPO-A) using UV curing techniques. The resultant coatings enhanced the water repellency of fabrics by 10-20 times, as evidenced by a reduction in moisture uptake (e.g., cotton's water adsorption capacity decreased from 389.5% to 16.2%) and an increase in water contact angles. Furthermore, the enhanced flame-retardant properties were substantiated by an increase in limiting oxygen index (LOI) values, with LOI of cotton fabrics rising from 18 to 26, indicating enhanced ignition and combustion resistance. The UV-curing technique facilitated efficient crosslinking and expedited processing, rendering this approach suitable for scalable applications in eco-friendly and protective textile development.