Design and characterization of flame resistant blended nondrip PA6/Lenzing FR®/PBI fiber nonwoven fabrics

Abstract In current thermal protective clothing systems, maximizing the personal protection performance against fire and heat is in great demand. Additionally, minimizing the manufacturing cost by using low-cost materials is also a critical factor. In previous studies [1–3], a new type of low-cost inherently flame resistant (FR) non-drip Polyamide 6 (PA6) nanocomposite fiber was developed. In this paper, this FR non-drip PA6 fiber was tested in blends with two commercially available inherently FR fibers to form FR nonwoven fabrics. Different formulations of varying blending ratios were processed into nonwoven fabrics. The fiber morphology was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The fabric flammability and combustion properties were characterized using a Microscale Combustion Calorimeter (MCC), and a vertical flame tester, as well as Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Tensile tests were conducted to characterize mechanical properties of these FR nonwoven fabrics. The water vapor permeability test was also performed to measure the wearability of the fabric. Results of several nonwoven blends were compared to find the one with optimum blend ratio which has the potential to be used as low-cost thermal protective fabric.