New FR cellulose fiber － SOL FR® with FR and anti-bacterial function
Making a revolutionary innovation
Mar 14, 2017 ｜ by Zhao Zihan
China, as we all know, is a textile power, accounting for more than half of the world’s fiber processing capacity, but still following behind some other countries in many high-tech breakthroughs in the technical difficulties, especially in fiber materials and equipment manufacturing. However, with the deepening transformation and upgrading of the industry in recent years, many technical problems have been resolved. For example, in the field of flame-retardant textiles, Beijing SOL Flame-retardant Fiber Limited (SOL for short) developed a new flame-resistant cellulose fiber - SOL FR® over more than ten years of research.
SOL FR® - Defines the flame resistant application boundary with technology
The flame resistant textiles has become a major social concern of all walks of life , while the life and property safety as well as environmental protection is receiving much concern. Today, the FR fiber material is not only applied to such personal protection areas as the military, fire-fighting, and industrial protective clothing, but also largely used in the civilian market such as home textiles and clothing for special groups. For example, in some developed countries, there are strict flame-resistant laws and regulations on the soft furnishings such as mattresses, sofas, and carpets, as well as the components inside the vehicles such as the built-in cushions and backrest, and the infant clothing.
FR regenerated cellulose fiber, as one of the many flame-resistant fiber materials, has been playing an irreplaceable role in flame-resistance textiles' field thanks to its good flame-resistance performance as well as such characteristics as great wear comfort, natural soft touch and excellent moisture absorption and perspiration of the fabric.
However, the FR cellulose fiber worldwide is mainly phosphorus-based and silicon-based. The former enjoys good FR performance, but will release a large amount of smoke and cause great damage to the environment; the latter is well known for sound FR performance and environmental protection, but will suffer a serious decrease of FR performance against washing with low strength, and cannot be woven into fabric.
SOL FR® is a new inherent cellulose-based FR fiber. It is produced through spinning and solidifying after a grafting reaction between cellulose solution and new silicon-nitrogen flame retardants. Thanks to excellent thermal protection performance and small heat shrinkage coefficient of SOL FR®, the fabric can still maintain its original shape burned at a high temperature of 1100ºC, playing a role as a barrier. SOL FR® is characterized with excellent flame-resistant and thermal protection performances, no melting and dripping, small smoke emission, non-toxic & non-polluting smoke and great wear comfort. In addition, it will not pollute the environment after degradation. It can be widely used in fire-fighting, military and special protective clothing industry, as well as the garments for infants and young children and the elderly, home textiles, and the interior furnishings of transportation vehicles.
SOL FR Cross section view
SOL FR vertical section view
Flame-resistant + antibacterium, combined functions reveal the technical strength
SOL FR®, the main product from Beijing SOL Flame-retardant Fiber Limited, is endowed with another new function: antibacterium. Recently, the newly developed products have passed the authoritative test, which proved that a new series of SOL FR® products are of excellent antibacterial function.
It is said that the fiber with antibacterial properties can be widely used in personal protection, home textiles, underwear, medical textiles, sweatshirts and so on, especially garments for the elderly, pregnant women and infants. The clothing made from antibacterial fiber are able to resist the adhesion of bacteria in clothing so as to protect people from the intrusion of bacteria. Antibacterium is either inherent or through post-treatment, and the current international inherent antibacterial fibers are mainly chitosan fiber, seaweed fiber, and polyimide, while the post-treatment antibacterial fibers mainly include silver antibacterial fibers and copper antibacterial fibers.
The inherent antibacterium refers to the antibacterial radicals of the fiber molecular radicals, so that such kind of fibers is antibacterial permanently. Silver fiber is a high-tech product with a layer of pure silver permanently bonded to the surface of the fiber through special technologies. Copper fiber is a new type of acrylic fiber grafted with organic copper chain and high hydrophilic radicals respectively on the side chain of acrylic polymer by graft copolymerization in the stage of the primary pulp polymerization, followed by wet spinning technology.
Similar but different from other inherent antibacterial fiber in antimicrobial principles, the antibacterial property of SOL FR® is long-acting based on ensuring the flame resistant performance. The antibacterial TiO2 and organic nitrogen compounds are added to the flame retardants: anatase TiO2 is photocatalytic antibacterial agent with antibacterial effect rising from catalytic activation mechanism: the metal elements absorb the environment energy (such as UV), activating the oxygen in air or water to generate hydroxyl radicals or reactive oxygen ions which then react with the protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and glycosides in bacterial cells, destructing its normal structure to death or loss of reproductive capacity. The antibacterial mechanism of organic nitrogen compounds: combining with bacterial or fungal cell membrane anion or reacting with the sulfydryl to destruct the synthesis system of protein and cell membrane, thereby inhibiting the reproduction of bacteria or mould, playing bactericidal, antibacterial, mould-proof and other effects.
The antibacterial function of SOL FR® has also won approval of the academician Jiang Shicheng and other experts in the appraisal meeting organized by China National Textile and Apparel Council. So far, SOL has successfully developed ecological, environmentally friendly cellulose -based series fiber products, namely, inherent FR fiber, inherent far-infrared emission fiber, inherent antibacterial fiber, inherent antibacterial and far-IR fiber and fiber with inherent FR, far-IR emission and anti-bacterial function all in one products.
SOL FR® Main features（FR series）:
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High flame resistant performance: Limit oxygen index LOI ≥ 32%;
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Barrier effect: The fabric's original shape can be maintained though the cellulose are burn out after burning in 1100℃, forming a shielding layer;
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Low smoking and non-toxic smoke: Combustion does not produce toxic gases and smoke;
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Environmental protection performances: The waste is naturally degradable, harmless to the environment;
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Inherent flame resistant: Laundering durability, and washing will not affect the flame resistance performance; reusable.
