Beijing SOL Flame-retardant Fiber Limited (SOL) has developed a new flame-resistant (FR) cellulose fibre – SOL FR – after more than ten years’ of research. SOL FR is produced through spinning and solidifying after a grafting reaction between cellulose solution and new silicon-nitrogen flame retardants, making it a revolutionary innovation.

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.

The a new inherent cellulose-based FR fibre is characterised with excellent flame-resistant and thermal protection performances, no melting and dripping, small smoke emission, non-toxic and 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 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. The fibre 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.

Similar but different from other inherent antibacterial fibre 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 organised by China National Textile and Apparel Council. (RKS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – China