Firefighters continually endanger their lives in order to rescue others. This can leave them with severe burns; in 2017 alone, 2,835 U.S. firefighters suffered from burn-related injuries. In this research, a flame retardant hydrogel was synthesized using biodegradable, non-toxic cellulose based materials: xanthan gum (XG) and resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) (RDP) and starch. RDP was first coated onto the xanthan gum and starch surface. Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy confirmed the hydrogen bonding between RDP and XG/starch. To evaluate the protection of FR hydrogel, sheepskin was embedded in aluminum pans, covered with hydrogel, and burned continuously for 150s. Temperature change of the sheepskin was recorded during burning test. Results showed the formation of a uniform char layer from the FR hydrogel which protect the underlying gel layer and skin. The FR hydrogel sample outperformed its pure XG gel control sample by 29% in terms of the final temperature. The FR hydrogel helped to remain the skin temperature below 45 °C for over 50 seconds and below 55 °C for 114 seconds upon direct burning with a propane torch. TGA tests showed that the FR hydrogel had more residue after test which is in agreement to the char formation during the burning test. Data from the viscosity tests revealed that all samples displayed shear-thinning behavior. Thermal protective performance (TPP) tests were also done to evaluate heat transmission through the FR hydro gel when exposed to a continuous heat source, and result compared to the Stoll Curve which represent the heat level for causing second-degree burn. The TPP test result showed that the FR hydrogel provided a prolonged protection time comparing to the control sample

Synthesis of a novel flame-retardant hydrogel for skin protection using xanthan gum and resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate)-coated starch

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.