Discovering fire-retardant fiber, preventing the loss from the fire disaster

Researcher team from Chulalongkorn University and Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi has discovered the special polyester against the fire, reducing the property damage from fire disaster. So now, knowledge is ready to transfer to private sectors.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kawee Srikulkit, head of center of research integration of textiles, National Science and Technology Development Agency: NSTDA – Thailand, revealed that “researcher team is now able to develop master batch in order to better the property of polyester against the fire. This master batch is mainly used such as the components of textiles, furniture and others as it will be able to help reduce the damage from the fire. Previously, Thailand has used Polypropylene or PP but it is easily to get flamed.”

“This research is a cooperation of The Metallurgy and Materials Science Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University and Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi. The process firstly started up at synthesizing clay minerals and silica. This has to be done in order to test their distribution function in plastic material and seizure of plastic structure. The objectives aims mainly to prevent the plastics from the plastic melt after it contacts the heat. However, clay minerals and silica cannot be compounded with the plastic so that it is needed to change the normal plastic function becoming a master batch. After that, a master batch runs into the textile spinning process. Finally, quality of work will be measured by American Society Testing and Materials (ASTM) of USA.”

“From the measurement, polyester combined with clay minerals is a good fire-retardant and there is no drop after heat contact, but polyester mixed with silica is different from the other. The result of fire retardant is worse a bit if compared to other one.  However, its property can be also developed for another purpose such as outdoor products. The outdoor products are such as artificial grasses and others including products for car inside purpose.”

“After the success of primary experimentation, researcher team is developing the scale of next step of the production in order that the industrial sector will be utilized the experimentation to increase its value of their products. This experimentation will increase the volume of the scale becoming more 5 kilograms. According the result of these 5 kilograms, it is found that fire-retardant polyester can be possible to be developed to add the value for the industrial sectors.” The head of researchers also mentioned confidently in the Fiber Innovation which is the exchanging knowledge stage between the Taiwan experts and Thai entrepreneurs aiming to develop Thai fiber and textile for commercial purposes, that “they are ready to transfer this new technological knowledge to the Thai industrial sectors.”

Fiber Innovation is conducted by the Cooperation of National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand Textile Institute, Center of Excellence in Textile (CUIR) at Chulalongkorn University and Taiwan Textile Institute.