Bamboo powder (BP) is an abundant and renewable resource with established industrial applications, its shortcomings, such as low fire safety, poor water stability, and restricted multifunctionality, hinder its broader use in functional composites. This work reports a fabrication method for a high-performance bamboo powder-based composite (BPC), employing a targeted pre-treatment and a BP-chitosan (CS)-borax (BX) cross-linking strategy to stabilize the network during low-energy ambient drying. The synergistic effects of hydrogen bonding, electrostatic interactions, and chemical bonding within the structure significantly enhance the material's mechanical and fireproof performance. The optimized BPC sample, with a BP-to-CS mass ratio of 7:3, exhibits superior performance, including a low density, excellent compressive mechanical properties, and outstanding thermal insulation, surpassing many existing bio-based materials. Notably, it demonstrates superior fire resistance and thermal stability compared to commercial rigid polyurethane foam (RPUF) of similar density. Moreover, it also shows excellent water resistance and recyclability. Importantly, the combined pre-treatment and network stabilization enable efficient ambient drying without high-temperature steps, reducing energy input and improving scalability. This work emphasizes the vast potential of this bamboo powder-based composite for fire-resistant insulation applications, offering an innovative pathway for the development of sustainable and high-performance materials in the quest for greener solutions.

The widespread use of modern steel structures is challenged by a significant loss of load-bearing capacity at elevated temperatures, particularly above 550–600 °C. Intumescent fireproof coatings (IFCs) are an effective protection method. While inorganic coatings such as sodium silicate (SS) offer advantages of non-combustibility and thermal stability, their application is limited by high water solubility and fragile char. This study addresses these limitations by constructing an organic–inorganic hybrid system through in-situ modification of SS with a synthesized polyurethane (PU) prepolymer, facilitated by hydrogen bonding. A flame retardant system comprising melamine (MEL) and piperazine pyrophosphate (PAPP) was incorporated to synergistically enhance performance. The resulting coatings were systematically evaluated for their flame retardancy, water resistance, and formed char structure. It achieved a protection time of 58.6 min, exhibited a micron-scale synaptic surface after curing and showed a mass loss of only 12

Ti3C2Tx MXene-based textiles are gaining rapid attention for next-generation wearable technologies. However, drawbacks of MXene, such as susceptibility to oxidative degradation, poor adhesion to fabrics, and low flameretardant efficiency, hinder its applications. Herein, we proposed a collaborative interfacial strategy to fabricate a durable, antioxidant Mxene-based cotton fabric (C-E-FR-cotton) that exhibited flame retardancy, sensing, and thermal management. MXene was surface-modified with Ag NPs and potassium sodium tartrate, and then firmly adhered to the fabric by covalent bonds. Flammability test results demonstrated that the C-E-FR-cotton fabric had excellent flame retardancy, with a limiting oxygen index value (LOI) of 36.8% and a reduction of 42.8% in total heat release. The fabric retained its electrical stability, exhibiting only 1.2 times its original resistance value even after 20 soaking cycles. Besides, the signal output of the fabric remained stable during 4000 s of compression-release cycles testing, demonstrating durable sensing capability. Furthermore, the C-E-FRcotton achieved thermal regulation, including electrothermal heating (76 degrees C at 10 V), photothermal warming (53.5 degrees C under 1000 W & sdot;m-2), and radiative insulation equivalent to four cotton layers. This work presents a practical strategy to develop MXene-based textiles with enhanced antioxidant capacity, flame retardancy, and capabilities for sensing and personal thermal management.

Solid-liquid phase change materials (PCMs) offer considerable potential for thermal energy storage; however, leakage and flammability continue to restrict their engineering applications. To address these limitations, a side-chain modified epoxy resin (DGEDBA(C12)) was developed to construct form-stable PCMs (FSPCMs) with improved compatibility toward paraffin (PW). The resulting composite achieved a high PW loading of 60 wt% with a latent heat of 102.5 J/g and good shape stability (leakage rate < 1% at 80 degrees C). To further enhance heat transfer efficiency and fire safety, a red phosphorus/expandable graphite hybrid filler (RG) was incorporated. RG addition enhanced thermal conductivity and reduced supercooling. It also promoted char formation in the condensed phase, leading to a significant reduction in the peak heat release rate from 1582 to 236 kW/m(2) in cone calorimetry. This study provided a design strategy for developing safe and efficient EP-based FSPCMs.

In this work, a synergistic strategy is proposed to construct polyurea (PUA) nanocomposites with high strength, toughness, and good fire safety by integrating hierarchical hydrogen bonding with MXene-based covalent interfacial engineering. The hierarchical hydrogen bonding system facilitates multilevel energy dissipation and regulates chain orientation during stretching, further promoting strain-induced crystallization for reinforcement. The phosphorus and amino-containing MXene nanosheets are covalently linked with PUA, simultaneously enhancing flame retardancy and enabling efficient stress transfer. The optimized PUA nanocomposite achieves a tensile strength of 49.7 MPa and a toughness of 253.6 MJ/m3, representing increases of 464.8% and 786.7%, respectively. Remarkably, it retains 78.6% of its tensile strength after 50 loading-unloading cycles at 200% strain, demonstrating excellent cyclic mechanical stability. In addition, the peak heat release rate and peak smoke production rate during combustion are reduced by 57.5% and 51.1%, respectively. A flexible strain sensor based on this nanocomposite outputs stable signals over 1000 cycles and can be used to monitor human body motions. This work provides an effective strategy for designing high-performance nanocomposites via synergistic nanofiller reinforcement and dynamic hydrogen bonding system.

Balancing flame retardancy, thermal conductivity, and mechanical properties in polymer composites remains a major challenge, largely dictated by additive loading. In this study, expandable graphite (EG) and red phosphorus (RP) was chemically bonded by depositing RP onto EG through mechanical ball milling to form a hybrid functional filler (EG5RP1). The resulting EG5RP1 was subsequently incorporated into polypropylene (PP) via melt blending. With only 7 wt% EG5RP1, the peak heat release rate and total heat release of the PP composite decrease by 69.8% and 7.4%, respectively, and the inhibition rate of CO reached 100%. Meanwhile, PP/EG5RP17% achieves a tensile strength of 34.0 MPa, elongation at break of 459%, and impact strength of 3.61 kJ/m2. Compared with PP (35.4 MPa, 514%, and 2.90 kJ/m2), the composite retains comparable tensile and ductile properties while delivering a 24.5% enhancement in impact resistance. Additionally, EG5RP1 improves the thermal conduction of PP composites. Compared with PP, the thermal conductivity of PP/EG5RP17% increases by 30%. This work demonstrates that mechanical ball milling-induced chemical bonding between EG and RP enhances the flame retardancy and thermal conductivity of PP composites at low additive loadings, while maintaining good mechanical properties for potential use in electrical and electronic housings.

Sustainability limitations, inherent flammability, and poor adhesion durability of conventional petroleum-derived resins have given rise to a great demand for renewable bio-based materials with integrated fire safety and interfacial robustness.

Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) is a halogen-free flame retardant with good thermal stability and char-forming ability. However, APP often leads to interface incompatibility, reducing the strength and transparency of the polymer. In this study, a surface modification strategy has been designed and applied in APP to address these challenges. APP is modified with aminotrimethylene phosphonic acid (ATMP) and long-chain alkane 1,10-diaminodecane (DAD) to obtain APP-DA. The prepared APP-DA is then introduced into polypropylene (PP) through melt blending. The flammability tests demonstrate that the APP-DA greatly enhances the fire resistance of PP. Compared with the control PP, the incorporation of 25 wt.% APP-DA into PP increases the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value to 26.7 %, achieves a UL-94 V-0 rating. In addition, the peak heat release rate (pHRR) and the smoke release rate (SPR) are decreased by 66.2 % and 40.0 %, respectively. Moreover, the presence of APP-DA increases the mechanical properties and maintains good transparency. Compared with PP, the impact strength of PP/APPDA (25 %) sample increases by 19.6 %, and the transparency retains 91.2 %. This APP surface modification strategy offers a practical method for preparing PP composites to meet industrial application requirements.

Multifunctional fabrics for thermal management are becoming increasingly essential in a wide range of application scenarios. However, existing thermal management fabrics exhibit insufficient performance and shortcomings in environmental tolerance. The main challenge lies in the interactions between multiple protective additives, which often lead to detrimental effects on functionality and mechanical properties. This study innovatively develops a multifunctional protective PET fabric (PET/APTES-PSA@Cu-2) by utilizing gamma-aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) and phosphorous acid (PSA) to incorporate copper particles into the fabric. This design not only achieves thermal management but also integrates sensing, fire safety, and multiple protective functions. The PET/APTES-PSA@Cu-2 fabric demonstrates excellent electrothermal performance at -60 degrees C, reaching a peak temperature of 22 degrees C at 0.4 V. At 422 degrees C, the fabric achieves a high-temperature insulation efficiency of 248 %. The fabric combines mechanical reinforcement and protective functions, including enhanced tensile strength, abrasion resistance, antibacterial properties, and room-temperature self-healing capabilities. It also exhibits excellent flame-retardant performance, with a 46.56 % reduction in peak heat release rate and a 70.17 % decrease in average effective heat of combustion. Notably, it significantly reduces the smoke toxicity of phosphorus-based flame-retardant PET fabrics (CO production is reduced by 132.43 %, aldehydes are nearly eliminated, and oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are significantly decreased). Additionally, PET/ APTES-PSA@Cu-2 exhibits excellent sensing capabilities, effectively enabling joint health monitoring and thermotherapy. This study provides an effective approach for developing multifunctional protective fabrics with broad application prospects in fields such as firefighting, military equipment, aerospace, and high-performance sportswear.

Electronic textiles are promising for wearable devices. However, wearable electronic textiles face with challenges such as weak interface binding force, difficulty in multifunctional coupling, insufficient fire safety, and the lack of fabric intrinsic properties. Herein, a flexible and wearable cotton fabric (C-P-M-Cotton) was fabricated via hydrogen bonding, electrostatic assembly, and covalent cross-linking, using Ti3C2Tx MXene, phytic acid (PA), and an isocyanate-based cross-linking agent. The integration of fire safety, strain sensing, and thermal management functionalities was successfully achieved in cotton fabric. C-P-M-cotton was utilized as a sensor to detect and distinguish motion and information signals from the body and demonstrated a long-term stable conductivity and sensing performance, only a 10.5% decrease in conductivity, and a consistent resistance signal response curve during 6000 s after one year of storage in air. Additionally, the C-P-M-cotton exhibited thermal management properties in cold climates through a triple-mode heating, including electrothermal heating (100 °C at 10 V), solar heating (59.5 °C at 1000 W/m2), and radiative heating (2.9 °C). Moreover, C-P-M-cotton self-extinguishes after the removal of the external ignition source with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 45.1%. This work offers an approach and valuable insights for the development of the next generation of durable wearable flame-retardant electronic textiles, highlighting their potential applications in motion monitoring and thermal management.

The multifunctionality of wearable flexible textiles, including thermal management, electrical conductivity, signal sensing, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, has been widely studied, and various desirable properties have been realized in fabrics. However, challenges such as fabric flammability, the antagonistic effects between coatings, and the poor durability of coatings on fabrics significantly limit the practical application of wearable textiles. In this study, a multifunctional coating is developed using ammonium polyphosphate (APP), carbon nanotubes (CNTs), silica nanoparticles (SiO2), fluorinated alkyl silane (PFDTES), and silicone quaternary ammonium salt (QAS). The coating is applied to nylon/cotton blend fabrics through a simple, cost-effective process. The CNTs in the coating provide excellent electrical conductivity and light absorption, enabling the coated fabrics to achieve thermal comfort in cold environments through dual heating modes: electric heating (120 degrees C at 10 V) and photothermal conversion (85.3 degrees C at 100 mW center dot cm-2). Additionally, the coating is capable of detecting stable and repetitive signals from various body positions during movement. The coating exhibits superhydrophobicity (WCA value of 156.8 degrees) and self-cleaning properties, which is due to the nanostructure formed by SiO2 nanoparticles and the low surface energy imparted by PFDTES and QAS. The coated fabric also demonstrates flame resistance, with a limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 33.6 %, and self-extinguishes upon exposure to flames. Notably, the coating maintains its hydrophobic properties even after mechanical abrasion, tape peeling, and repeated washing. Furthermore, the fabric shows effective EMI shielding and antibacterial properties. This coating, characterized by its ease of processing, cost-effectiveness, and durability, holds promise for applications in advanced protection, flexible electronics, and many other fields.

The demand to produce durable multifunctional cotton fabrics without detrimental effects on the environment is increasing. Herein, a durable multifunctional cotton fabric (cotton-APP/LP) is designed and prepared through covalently grafting phosphorylated lignin (LP)/ammonium polyphosphate (APP) onto the fabric surface, presenting UV protection, photothermal conversion, fire safety, and antibacterial properties. The preparation of LP adopted a green mechanochemical method, and the whole treatment process is organic solvent-free. LP possesses excellent free-radical absorption capacity, and cotton-APP/LP achieves a UV protection factor value of 421.97. Under xenon lamp simulated irradiation, cotton-APP/LP exhibits a temperature of approximately 63.4 degrees C at a light intensity of 150 mW cm(-2), presenting a robust photothermal conversion effect. The antimicrobial properties (inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) are also achieved for cotton-APP/LP. In addition, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) of cotton-APP/LP increases to 48.5%, and self-extinguishment is observed in the vertical burning test. After 50 washing cycles, the cotton-APP/LP self-extinguishes and the LOI value reaches 31.5%, demonstrating excellent washing durability. This work prepared a durable cotton fabric to realize multifunctionality in a cleaner and safer way, further promoting the practical application of durable multifunctional cotton fabrics.

Cotton fabrics have high hydrophilicity and low limiting oxygen index (LOI) value, so they are susceptible to fires and bacterial growth, which endanger people’s lives and property and limit their further application. To solve the issue, the prepared green flame retardant β-cyclodextrin phosphate ammonium salt (β-CPAS) was first used to prepare flame retardant cotton fabric, which was then treated with hydrophobic agent phosphorylated hexadecanol (HP) to obtain flame retardant and hydrophobic cotton fabrics (FR-H-cotton) by the traditional dip-dry-cure technique. Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy showed that β-CPAS and HP were covalently bonded to the cotton sample by a P–O–C bond. The treated cotton was self-extinguished under a vertical flame and had an LOI value of up to 31

The widespread application of polyurea (PUA) in protective coatings typically requires excellent flame retardancy due to real-world usage scenarios. However, the addition of flame retardant additives often compromises the material's mechanical properties. In this study, a multifunctional reactive additive, MX-SP-NH2, was creatively prepared by covalently grafting spirocyclic pentaerythritol bisphosphorate disphosphoryl chloride (SPDPC) onto MXene (Ti3C2Tx) surfaces, followed by the introduction of 1,3-propanediamine (PDA) by the reaction with SPDPC. MX-SP-NH2 was then incorporated into PUA, participating in its crosslinking process and significantly enhancing both its mechanical strength and flame retardancy. Compared to the control PUA sample, the micro-crosslinked PUA sample with just 1.0 wt% MX-SP-NH2 demonstrated a 184.3% increase in tensile strength, a 126.1% increase in elongation at break, and a 436.3% increase in toughness. The flammability characterization revealed that the peak heat release rate, peak smoke production rate, and peak CO production rate were reduced by 31.7%, 28.9%, and 61.5%, respectively, indicating a substantial improvement in fire safety. Additionally, the flame retardant PUA-based flexible strain sensors demonstrated stable electrical signal responsiveness. This work has opened up new potential applications of PUA in flexible electronics.

Poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET)fabric is widely used in our lives due to its excellent mechanical strength, high elasticity, wrinkle resistance, and anti-abrasion. However, the inflammability and droplets produced during combustion restricted its application. Herein, a novel PET fabric with fire resistance, anti-dripping, and UV resistance is proposed to resolve this problem. Firstly, the finishing agent (AAD) was synthesized using adipoyl chloride, 9-anthracenemethanol, and diethyl(hydroxymethyl)phosphonate. Then AAD was introduced to the surface of PET fabric by dip-pad-cure process. The limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of AAD-treated PET enhanced to 23.8% from 19.3%. Besides, the fabric passed the vertical burning test (VBT) with no droplets generated. The fabric could still pass the VBT and maintain an LOI value of 23.3% after washing. Meanwhile, the AAD-treated PET fabric showed outstanding UV resistance with a high UPF value of 4318.27. The breaking force of AAD-treated PET was also improved. More importantly, the AAD coating could be easily removed from the fabric using dichloromethane and recycled using a rotary evaporator with a recovery rate of 98.6%. The recycled AAD could also recoated on the PET fabric to impart similar properties. This work proposed a novel strategy to prepare durable flame retardant and UV-resistant PET fabrics with recyclability.

To improve the flame retardant and antibacterial properties of lyocell samples, thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP), a kind of water-soluble vitamin derivative, was selected for the modification of lyocell fabric. Vertical burning test showed that the combustion of treated lyocell fabric was greatly reduced. The thermal stability and char-forming ability of the treated lyocell fabric were significantly improved whether in air or nitrogen atmosphere. The char residue of flame retardant lyocell sample was significantly increased from 4.9 wt% of the control sample to 25.9 wt% in air atmosphere, and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of graphitic carbon. The total heat release (THR) and peak heat release rate (PHRR) of the treated lyocell fabric decreased by 80.4% and 90.4%. In addition, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) values of the washed samples increased from 18.0% of the original sample to 28.3% even after 40 laundering cycles (LCs), demonstrating excellent durable flame retardancy. The flame retardant mechanism was explored by thermogravimetry-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (TG-IR), thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS) and Raman spectroscopy. Furthermore, the treated lyocell sample had good antibacterial performance to E. coli and S. aureus. This research indicates that TPP is an effective and potential intumescent flame retardant and antibacterial agent, which simultaneously endows lyocell fabric with multifunctional properties.

Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers are one of the three major synthetic fibers in the world, but the drawbacks of flammable and static charge accumulation limit their application. To address the issue, tea polyphenol phenolic resin (TPPR) was firstly prepared from biomass tea polyphenol in this paper. Next, TPPR was blended with PAN spinning solution and wet-spun with Fe3+ solution as coagulation bath to construct phosphorus-free and halogen-free flame retardant PAN fibers (TPPR@Fe/PAN). The results indicated that the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value increased from (17.3 +/- 0.51)% of PAN fibers to (31.6 +/- 0.51)% of TPPR@Fe/PAN. Even after 30 laundering cycles (LCs), the LOI value of TPPR@Fe/PAN was still up to (27.7 +/- 0.51)%, indicating good washing durability. Additionally, the heat release capacity (HRC) and total heat release (THR) of TPPR@Fe/PAN had 35.0% and 48.6% reduction, respectively. Furthermore, TPPR@Fe/PAN obtained excellent antistatic ability. Besides, the TG-IR results demonstrated that both the release of flammable and toxic gases were significantly suppressed. In the work, a simple and feasible flame retardant and antistatic strategy was established which was convenient for fabrication of functional PAN fibers on a large scale.