Journal of Textile Research ›› 2026, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (05): 182-189.doi: 10.13475/j.fzxb.20251001801

• Dyeing and Finishing Engineering • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Preparation and properties of phytic acid modified tea polyphenol flame-retardant polyester fabrics

ZHANG Xu1,2,3,4,5, XU Yunkai1,2,3,4,5, LIU Yun1,2,3,4,5()   

  1. 1 College of Textiles & Clothing, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China
    2 Institute of Functional Textiles and Advanced Materials, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China
    3 National Engineering Research Center for Advanced Fire-Safety Materials D & A (Shandong), Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China
    4 Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Recycling and Utilization, Shandong Province, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China
    5 Qingdao Key Laboratory of Flame-Retardant Textile Materials, Qingdao University, Qingdao, Shandong 266071, China
  • Received:2025-10-13 Revised:2026-03-12 Online:2026-05-15 Published:2026-07-10
  • Contact: LIU Yun E-mail:yliu@qdu.edu.cn

RichHTML

3

PDF (PC)

3

Abstract:

Objective Polyester fabrics are popularly produced and widely used because of their high breaking strength and good chemical stability. However, their low limiting oxygen index (LOI) and tendency to produce melt drippings in burning make them potential fire risks. Conventional flame retardants face two major challenges, where halogenated types emit toxic gases, while many phosphorus and nitrogen-based variants deplete non-renewable petrochemical and mineral resources. Therefore, it is highly necessary to design a biomass-derived flame retardant for improving the flame retardancy and anti-dripping performance of PET fabrics.

Method A flame retardant (PT) was synthesized by esterification using phytic acid (PA) and tea polyphenols (TP) as raw materials. The polyester (PET) fabric was then treated with this flame retardant through a dip-pad-cure process. PET fabrics finished with 100 g/L PA solution and 100 g/L PT solution were designated as PET-PA and PET-PT, respectively. PT exerted a phosphorus-nitrogen synergistic effect to promote char formation of PET fabrics, thereby enhancing the flame-retardant performance of the fabrics. The flame retardancy, mechanical performance, and antibacterial activity of the treated PET fabrics were evaluated through vertical flame test (VFT), limiting oxygen index measurement, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis, breaking strength test, and antibacterial test.

Results The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed substantial deposits of PT adhered to the PET fiber surfaces in the form of solid particulates. TG analysis results indicated that, the thermal stability of PET-PT in the low-temperature region decreased compared with raw PET fabric, and the initial thermal decomposition temperature (T5%) was shifted to a lower value. However, its maximum thermal decomposition rate (Rmax) decreased significantly, and the char residue of the fabric was markedly enhanced, increasing to 15.77% in a nitrogen atmosphere and 2.02% in an air atmosphere at 700 ℃. These results indicated that PT catalyzed the early decomposition of PET, while simultaneously promoting char formation and thereby enhancing the thermal stability of PET fabrics in the high-temperature region. VFT results showed that PET-PT self-extinguished immediately after being removed from the flame, with no melt-dripping observed, and the damage length was only 76 mm. The LOI value of PET-PT increased to 26.6%. These findings collectively indicated that PT effectively improved the flame retardancy and anti-dripping performance of PET fabrics, thereby significantly improving the fire safety of PET fabrics. Furthermore, micro-scale combustion calorimetry (MCC) results showed that compared with the pure PET fabric, the peak heat release rate (PHRR) of PET-PT decreased by 29.2% and the total heat release (THR) decreased by 28.3%, further confirming PT's ability to inhibit heat release of PET fabrics. The breaking force test results showed that the warp and weft breaking force of PET-PT increased to 710 N and 948 N, respectively, suggesting 13.4% and 9.1% higher than that of the raw PET fabric. Antibacterial test indicated that PET-PT exhibited excellent antibacterial activity against E.coli and S.aureus, with antibacterial rates reaching 100% and 97.8%, respectively.

Conclusion The flame-retardant PT was synthesized from PA and TP by esterification, and was subsequently applied to the PET fabric using dipping-padding-curing process. When the weight gain reached 20.8%, the LOI value of PET-PT increased to 26.6%, accompanied by a significantly reduced damage length and the complete absence of melt-dripping during burning. PT was found to catalyze the early decomposition of PET, facilitating the formation of a stable char layer that suppressed heat release. Furthermore, the breaking strength of the treated PET fabrics was improved after the flame-retardant treatment, meeting the practical requirements for daily use. Meanwhile, the treated PET fabrics demonstrated markedly enhanced antibacterial properties compared with the raw PET fabric. However, due to the weak binding force between PT and PET fabrics, the flame-retardant PET fabrics exhibited poor wash durability, and further research is still required to improve the PET-PT interface durability.

Key words: polyester fabric, phytic acid, tea polyphenol, flame retardancy, antibacterial property, flame retardant finishing, functional textiles

CLC Number: 

  • TS195.2

Fig.1

Schematic diagram of reaction mechanism between PA and TP"

Fig.2

Infrared spectra of PA, TP and PT"

Fig.3

SEM images of samples"

Fig.4

TG (a) and DTG (b) curves of samples in N2 atmosphere"

Tab.1

TG and DTG data of samples in N2 atmosphere"

样品名称 T5%/
℃		 Tmax/
℃		 Rmax/
(%·℃-1)		 700 ℃时的
残炭量/%
PET 403 433 1.2 14.33
PET-PA 334 376 0.9 19.36
PET-PT 341 391 0.7 15.77

Fig.5

TG (a) and DTG (b) curves of samples in air atmosphere"

Tab.2

TG and DTG data of samples in air atmosphere"

样品名称 T5%/
℃		 Tmax/
℃		 Rmax/
(%·℃-1)		 700 ℃时的
残炭量/%
PET 406 432 1.2 1.03
PET-PA 338 381 0.8 5.14
PET-PT 334 401 0.8 2.02

Fig.6

VFT digital images of PET, PET-PA, PET-PT and PET-PT-5Ls"

Tab.3

Results of VFT and LOI values of PET, PET-PA, PET-PT and PET-PT-5Ls"

样品名称 增重率/
%		 续燃
时间/
s		 阴燃
时间/
s		 损毁
长度/
mm		 LOI值/
%		 熔滴
现象
PET — 8.0 0 135 20.3 有
PET-PA 21.3 0 0 39 27.8 有
PET-PT 20.8 0 0 76 26.6 无
PET-PT-5Ls 5.0 4.0 0 105 20.3 有

Fig.7

HRR curves of PET, PET-PA and PET-PT"

Tab.4

Results of micro combustion calorimetry test of PET, PET-PA and PET-PT"

样品名称 TPHRR/
℃		 PHRR/
(W·
g-1)		 THR/
(kJ·
g-1)		 HRC/
(J·g-1·
K-1)		 残炭量/
%
PET 453 407 24.0 370 8.9
PET-PA 396 215 17.3 208 22.7
PET-PT 403 288 17.2 277 16.3

Fig.8

Breaking forces of PET, PET-PA and PET-PT"

Fig.9

Antibacterial effect of PET, PET-PA and PET-PT against E.coli and S.aureus"

[1] AGARWAL R, JASSAL M, AGRAWAL A K. Durable functionalization of polyethylene terephthalate fabrics using metal oxides nanoparticles[J]. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 2021, 615: 126223.
doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfa.2021.126223
[2] WANG H X, SUN L, WANG S H, et al. A novel flame-retardant system toward polyester fabrics: flame retardant, anti-dripping and smoke suppression[J]. Journal of Polymer Research, 2022, 29(5): 180.
doi: 10.1007/s10965-022-02961-3
[3] LIU L, GU L, ZHANG X, et al. Construction of thermally resistant and flame-retardant multifunctional polyester composite fabrics[J]. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 2024, 225: 110769.
doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2024.110769
[4] ZHANG L Y, SONG W M, LI P, et al. Green flame-retardant coatings based on iron alginate for polyester fabrics: thermal stability, flame retardancy and mechanical properties[J]. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 2022, 206: 110207.
doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2022.110207
[5] LIU Y W, HU B Q, GUAN J P, et al. Biomass phytate salt-based flame-retardant polyurethane coating for outdoor polyester fabric: a long-lasting solution[J]. Polymer Testing, 2024, 135: 108467.
doi: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2024.108467
[6] PETKOVSKA J, MLADENOVIC N, MARKOVIĆ D, et al. Environmentally benign few-bilayer intumescent nanocoating for flame retardant enzyme/plasma modified polyester fabric[J]. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 2023, 214: 110406.
doi: 10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2023.110406
[7] SUN L, YANG C H, WANG H X, et al. Bio-based alginate and Si-, P- and N-containing compounds cooperate toward flame-retardant modification of polyester fabrics[J]. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024, 259: 129121.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.129121
[8] JAKŠIĆ K, MATEK SARIĆ M, ČULIN J. Knowledge and attitudes regarding exposure to brominated flame retardants: a survey of Croatian health care providers[J]. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020, 27(7): 7683-7692.
doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-07496-7
[9] SONG W M, ZHANG L Y, LI P, et al. The fabrication of flame-retardant viscose fabrics with phytic acid-based flame retardants: balancing efficient flame retardancy and tensile strength[J]. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024, 260: 129596.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.129596
[10] LIU Y, ZHANG A S, CHENG Y M, et al. Recent advances in biomass phytic acid flame retardants[J]. Polymer Testing, 2023, 124: 108100.
doi: 10.1016/j.polymertesting.2023.108100
[11] CHENG X W, LIU Y W, JIN J H, et al. Metallic phytates modified polyurethane coating for constructing long-lasting flame-retardant outdoor polyester fabric[J]. Progress in Organic Coatings, 2024, 188: 108205.
doi: 10.1016/j.porgcoat.2023.108205
[12] ZHAO W J, LIU Y S, TAN W, et al. Research progress of biomass flame retardant coatings on polyester textiles[J] Fine Chemicals, 2022 39(1): 65-73.
[13] FANG J, ZHAO C M, MENG C, et al. Preparation and properties of PA@PANI conductive and flame retardant functional polyester fabric without droplet[J]. Materials Today Communications, 2022, 30: 103031.
doi: 10.1016/j.mtcomm.2021.103031
[14] LI H S, ZHENG Z R, LIU Y Y, et al. Construction of fully bio-based flame retardant and antibacterial coating on polyester fabric with chitosan and ammonium phytate[J]. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2024, 141(37): e55940.
doi: 10.1002/app.v141.37
[15] FANG Y C, WU J G, CHANG S, et al. Flame retardant and anti-dripping polyethylene terephthalate fabric based on bio-based phytic acid/gelatine coating[J]. Surface Engineering, 2023, 39(1): 49-55.
doi: 10.1080/02670844.2023.2193004
[16] SONG W M, ZHANG L Y, FAN R Y, et al. Multi-functional finishing of viscose fabrics based on tea polyphenols: integrated flame retardant, antibacterial, hydrophobic, and UV-resistant functionalities[J]. Composites Part B: Engineering, 2024, 287: 111848.
doi: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2024.111848
[17] SONG W M, FAN R Y, ZHANG L Y, et al. Improvement of fire safety for viscose fabrics based on phytic acid modified tea polyphenols complexed iron ions[J]. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2024, 280: 135981.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.135981
[18] ZHU B, LI J C, HE Y, et al. Effect of steric hindrance on hydrogen-bonding interaction between polyesters and natural polyphenol catechin[J]. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2004, 91(6): 3565-3573.
doi: 10.1002/app.v91:6
[19] WANG Z K, HAN Z S, ZHANG L. Advances and outlook of tea polyphenol chemistry: a review[J]. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2025, 73(37): 22994-23002.
doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c04943 pmid: 40910807
[20] CHEN C, XU Y M, LIN B B, et al. Antibacterial activity and mechanism of green tea polyphenols from Qinling mountains[J], Journal of Sichuan Agricultural University, 2019, 37(6): 821-827.
[21] YANG H L, LIU X X, ZHU J L, et al. Research progress in antibacterial properties of tea polyphenols[J]. Science & Technology of Food Industry, 2015, 36(21): 385-389.
[22] SUN Y, YANG J X, ZHANG X, et al. Anti-ultraviolet and semi-durable flame-retardant viscose fabrics fabricated by modified tea polyphenols[J]. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2025, 286: 138572.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.138572
[23] JIANG Q, LI P, LIU Y, et al. Flame retardant cotton fabrics with anti-UV properties based on tea polyphenol-melamine-phenylphosphonic acid[J]. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2023, 629: 392-403.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.09.084
[24] XIA G M, JI X Q, XU Z, et al. Transparent cellulose-based bio-hybrid films with enhanced anti-ultraviolet, antioxidant and antibacterial performance[J]. Carbohydrate Polymers, 2022, 298: 120118.
doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120118
[25] 费燕娜, 高卫东, 王鸿博, 等. 聚乳酸/茶多酚复合纳米纤维膜的抗菌机制及性能[J]. 纺织学报, 2013, 34(8): 6-11.
FEI Yanna, GAO Weidong, WANG Hongbo, et al. Antibacterial mechanism and performance of PLA/TP composed nanofiber membrane[J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2013, 34(8): 6-11.
[26] JIANG Z L, WANG C S, FANG S Y, et al. Durable flame-retardant and antidroplet finishing of polyester fabrics with flexible polysiloxane and phytic acid through layer-by-layer assembly and sol-gel process[J]. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2018, 135(27): 46414.
doi: 10.1002/app.v135.27
[1] QIU Hong, CHEN Li, WANG Lifang, YI Shan, TANG Yika, WANG Yuping, GAO Hongguo, ZHANG Wenxin, WANG Keyi, LIU Lifang. Preparation and properties of temperature-responsive hydrogels based on nanocellulose [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(05): 1-8.
[2] ZHENG Jingjing, CAO Yuan, CHEN Jiahua, LÜ Jianyuan. Superhydrophobicity and UV resistance of polydopamine/octadecylamine/zinc oxide synergistic modified gambiered Canton silk [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(05): 172-181.
[3] LIU Jiajie, SUN Qilong, CAO Lixia, YE Wei, ZHANG Xing, TAN Wei. Preparation and properties of yarns of recycled aramid fibers from waste flame-retardent colthing [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(05): 99-106.
[4] YANG Hongjie, XU Liya, WANG Wei. Preparation and properties of bio-based polyamide 56 nanofiber membranes containing nitric oxide donor [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(04): 43-51.
[5] KANG Qingqing, WEI Xia, LUO Jingxian. Preparation and properties of aramid fabrics grafted with sericin protein [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(04): 163-170.
[6] CHEN Siqi, JIN Yuhan, CHEN Lin, WANG Fang, WANG Yuzhong. Durable flame-retardant cotton fabric coatings based on cation-π interactions [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(03): 192-200.
[7] SHI Meiwu. Review of new antimicrobial technologies for textiles [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(03): 201-207.
[8] WANG Yefei, XU Ziao, YU Jianyong, DING Bin, LI Zhaoling. Research progress in temperature regulation for personal temperature-constant thermal management fabrics [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(03): 208-216.
[9] LIN Xiaojing, MAO Ying, CHEN Wenxing, LÜ Wangyang. Preparation and antibacterial and antioxidant properties of curcumin-loaded electrospun membranes [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(03): 217-224.
[10] TIAN Junying, CHENG Youqi, HE Tianhong, YAO Jinbo, LI Zhenfeng, WU Songliang. Study on antibacterial properties and antibacterial components of bamboo pulp fibers [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(03): 225-232.
[11] SHAO Yinghai, PIAO Hongwei, CAO Jipeng, ZHANG Yue, XU Lanjie, YU Xuezhi, ZHANG Mingguang. Preparation and antibacterial properties of natural colored cotton/Antheraea pernyi staple fiber blended yarns [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(03): 240-246.
[12] JIANG Gaoming, PAN Junyuan, XI Lifeng, LI Bingxian. Innovation and development of knitting technology for life quality and health [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(03): 255-262.
[13] LIU Pengbi, REN Jinggang, ZHANG Kuanxiang, CAO Dongyang, LIU Xi, GUO Changsheng. Preparation and antibacterial properties of coated polypropylenemeshes by one-step co-deposition of phytic acid and benzalkonium chloride [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(03): 77-86.
[14] HUANG Yongbao, WANG Yizhou, LI Mengqi, WAN Beibei, SONG Yue, YANG Fan. Preparation of photochromic textiles and their anti-counterfeiting applications [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(02): 214-221.
[15] WEI Jianfei, WEI Yanying, MA Chaohui, HU Xiaopeng, BING Linhan, FAN Yu, LIN Binze, DONG Zhenfeng, ZHU Zhiguo, WANG Rui. Scalable synthesis of carbon dots from polyethylene terephthalate waste for synergistical enhancement of flame retardancy and mechanical properties of polyamide 66 fibers [J]. Journal of Textile Research, 2026, 47(02): 37-46.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!
京ICP备14006648号
Copyright 2021 © Editorial office of Journal of Textile Research
Supported by Beijing Magtech Co.Ltd