Fire retardant nylon fibers and methods for making them
Provided are nylon fibers having fire-retardant agents dispersed therein and methods for manufacturing such fibers. The fire-retardant agents may comprise Tris(tribromophenyl) triazine and/or antimony trioxide. Fabrics made from such fibers are also provided.
1. A fire-retardant nylon fiber having dispersed within the internal regions thereof an amount of a fire-retardant composition comprising:
from about 0.1% to about 10% brominated organic fire-retardant; and
(ii) from about 0.1% to about 10% synergist,
wherein a major portion thereof is Nylon-6 polymer and/or Nylon-6,6 polymer, wherein the fiber is essentially free of brominated polystyrenes.
2. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , comprising at least about 50% Nylon-6 polymer and/or Nylon-6,6 polymer.
3. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , wherein the fiber is spun from a melt comprising molten nylon polymer homogeneous mixed with said fire-retardant composition.
4. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , wherein the fiber comprises a tensile strength within 20% of the tensile strength of an otherwise identical nylon fiber that does not comprise said fire retardant composition.
5. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , wherein the brominated organic fire-retardant is selected from the group consisting of: tris(tribromophenyl) triazine; tris(tribromoneopentyl)phosphate; pentabromobenzyl acrylate (PBB-MA); poly(pentabromobenzyl acrylate) (PBB-PA); brominated trimethylphenyl indan; and tetrabromobisphenyl A-bis(2,3-dibromopropyl ether).
6. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , wherein the brominated organic fire-retardant is a brominated aryl fire-retardant.
7. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , wherein the brominated organic fire-retardant is tris(tribromophenyl) triazine.
8. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , further comprising from about 0.1% to about 10% brominated inorganic fire-retardant.
9. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 8 , wherein the brominated inorganic fire-retardant is a phosphorous-based fire-retardant.
10. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 8 , wherein the brominated inorganic fire-retardant is tris(tribromoneopentyl)phosphate.
11. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , wherein the synergist is selected from the group consisting of: antimony trioxide, antimony pentoxide, sodium antimonite, calcium metaborate, aluminum hydroxide (ATH), and barium borate.
12. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , wherein the synergist is antimony trioxide.
13. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 1 , wherein the fire-retardant composition comprises:
(i) about 0.1% to about 10% tris(tribromophenyl) triazine; and
(ii) about 0.1% to about 10% antimony trioxide.
14. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 13 , wherein the antimony trioxide and the tris(tribromophenyl) triazine are present in an amount sufficient to provide a weight ratio of elemental Sb and Br (Sb:Br) of from about 1:3 to about 1:10, and wherein the aggregate weight of elemental Sb and Br in the fiber is from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the total weight of the fiber.
15. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 13 , wherein the antimony trioxide and the tris(tribromophenyl) triazine are present, collectively, in an amount from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight based on the weight of the fiber.
16. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 13 , wherein the antimony trioxide and the tris(tribromophenyl) triazine are present in the fiber in a weight ratio of from about 2:1 to about 5:1.
17. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 13 , wherein the antimony trioxide and the tris(tribromophenyl) triazine are present in the fiber in a weight ratio of from about 3:1 to about 4:1.
18. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 13 , further comprising about 0.1% to about 10% tris(tribromoneopentyl)phosphate.
19. The fire-retardant nylon fiber of claim 13 , comprising at least about 50% Nylon-6 polymer and/or Nylon-6,6 polymer.
20. A woven fabric comprising a plurality of fire-retardant nylon fibers of claim 1 .