Aqua‐mediated in situ synthesis of highly potent phosphorous functionalized flame retardant for cotton fabric

Abstract Flame retardancy in various materials is becoming an increasingly important performance feature. In the textile industries, fire‐related problems have become an important concern over the decade. Herein, the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and graphene‐supported material were functionalized with trimethyl phosphate (TMP) for the synthesis of flame retardant (FR) composite material [graphene polymer functionalized trimethyl phosphate (GPTMP)] in the aqueous medium, which improves the stability of cotton fabric against flame. Graphene and PVA fabricated with phosphorus functional groups make the fabric more comfortable against fire and help to avoid further spreading of fire. The composite‐coated fabric sustains for a long time on continuous flame with maintaining its initial shape and size. The GPTMP‐coated fabric shows flame retardancy for up to 540 s on constant flame exposure, whereas control samples such as PVA‐, graphene oxide‐, and TMP‐coated fabrics resist for up to 15, 20, and 14 s, respectively. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) and vertical flammability test (VFT) for synthesized composites were performed to confirm and support the flame retardancy property of GPTMP. The GPTMP shows the 35% LOI value and forms the char length of 2.6 cm during VFT. This work provides a simple and eco‐friendly method to obtain novel GPTMP, which has a high potential as a FR for different fabrics, including cotton.