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Treatment of melamine formaldehyde fibers for decontaminating biological and chemical warfare agents
Author(s) -
Kocer Hasan B.,
Ozkan Fatma,
Broughton Roy M.,
Worley Shelby D.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.42799
Subject(s) - chlorine , formaldehyde , melamine , fiber , fire retardant , sulfuric acid , chemistry , wool , materials science , chemical engineering , pulp and paper industry , composite material , organic chemistry , engineering
The demand for protection against biological and chemical warfare agents has increased the need for unique protective materials. N ‐halamines are superior candidates for this task by having rapid inactivation rates against a broad range of microorganisms and the ability to oxidize some pesticides and warfare agents to reduce their toxicity to humans. Thus, the design of N ‐halamine materials having fibrous structure, high halogen loading capacity with enhanced stability, and being relatively inexpensive is very important. This study investigated the effect of acid treatment on the chlorine loading and stability of a commercial flame retardant melamine formaldehyde (MF) fiber to introduce biocidal and detoxifying properties. The fibers formed into a web were treated with diluted sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) under various conditions. The fiber webs were chlorinated with household bleach, and the stability of bound chlorine was investigated. The treated fabrics have been tested against a Gram‐negative bacterium and a warfare stimulant. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132 , 42799.