Flame retardant and water repellent poly(lactic acid) electrospun fabrics

For its biodegradability, renewability and sustainability, polylactic acid (PLA) fabrics are of great interests to replace the petroleum based, non-degradable textiles. However, their flame retardancy and water repellency need to be improved to be applied in household decoration, car interior, or protective clothing, etc. to make them safe and self-cleaning. Herein, PLA fabrics with improved flame retardancy and water repellency were produced by co-electrospinning PLA with DiDOPO, a derivative of 6H-dibenz(C,E)(1,2)oxaphosphorin-6-oxide (DOPO). The experimental results showed that the DiDOPO could have good protection for the PLA fabrics. More specifically, it had better protection to the fabrics than the bulk PLA during combustion. Furthermore, the PLA/DiDOPO electrospun fabrics showed improved water repellency compared to the pristine PLA fabric. It was found that the strength and toughness of PLA/DiDOPO electrospun fabrics were elevated too.