Spectrophotometric Detection of Inhomogeneous Distribution of Ammonium Copper (II) Phosphate Flame-Retardant in a Cellulosic Fabric

Ammonium copper (II) phosphate [CuNH4PO4] was synthesized by means of a multiple bath method and deposited onto a laundered and dried weighed cotton fabric (woven plain construction, 180 g/m2). This was followed by means of squeeze rolls and drying at 110°C for 30 min. The specimens were then cooled in a desiccator, re-weighed with analytical precision and kept nightlong under ordinary conditions, before the performance of the vertical flame test. The optimum addition of CuNH4PO4 to impart flame-retardancy to cotton fabric was about 13.96%. The outcomes of the vertical flame test are in compliance with Dust or Wall Effect Theory. The estimation of inhomogeneity's distribution in different parts of a selected specimen was accomplished via spectrophotometric analysis and the results express the heterogeneous distribution of the salt in various sectors of the fabric.