What is microfiber leather's flame retardant principle?

Among the many advantages of microfiber leather, one of them is its suitable flame retardant property. Flame retardant is a technology that breaks the common knowledge for leather materials because, as a textile material, flammability is its most prominent characteristic. So, how does microfiber leather achieve flame resistance? It's about the addition of flame-retardant technology in the production process, so what is the principle of flame-retardant of microfiber leather?

The different ways of flame retardants of microfiber leather can be divided into gas-phase flame retardant, cohesive phase flame retardant, and heat absorption.

1、Gas phase flame retardant. The flame retardant effect of combustion interruption or delayed chain combustion reaction in the gas phase, such as halogen flame retardant. The mechanism of action is that the leather is treated with flame retardants. In a heated state, the release of non-flammable gases such as CO2, NH3, HCl, H2O, and SO2, these gases reduces the concentration of oxygen in the combustion area. In addition, the thermal decomposition products of flame retardants when the leather burns capture a large number of high-energy hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen radicals in the flame area, reducing their concentration, thus inhibiting or interrupting the chain reaction of combustion and playing a flame retardant role. These aspects of flame retardants are mainly halogen, nitrogen, and other systems.

2、Heat absorption effect. Flame retardants with high heat capacity, under high-temperature phase change, dehydration or dehalogenation of hydrogen and other heat absorption decomposition reaction, will reduce the temperature of the leather surface and flame area, slow down the speed of thermal cracking reaction, inhibit the generation of combustible gases—this type of flame retardant such as magnesium hydroxide, aluminum hydroxide.

3, condensed phase flame retardant - covering effect. Flame retardants in the condensed phase delay or prevent the generation of flammable gases and free radicals; flame retardant materials in the larger specific heat capacity of inorganic fillers, through heat storage and thermal conductivity so that the material is not easy to reach the thermal decomposition temperature, the decomposition of flame retardant materials absorb heat from the outside world, resulting in a reduction in the outside temperature; flame retardant materials generated on their surfaces when burning, heat insulation, oxygen barrier porous carbon layer, resulting in the interruption of combustion. The course of action of the flame retardant at a relatively low-temperature molten state to form a heat insulation layer on the surface of the collagen fiber will be wrapped; flame retardants can also dehydrate the collagen fiber, forming a carbonized layer on the surface of the collagen fiber, isolate the entry of oxygen and external heat sources, and prevent the escape of combustible gases. There are representative flame retardants in this area, such as borax, phosphorus system, the nitrogen-phosphorus compound system, etc.

Many consumers have some doubts about the effectiveness of flame retardant performance of microfiber leather; through the above introduction, we can find that it is entirely possible to achieve through the above three ways, and we can buy it with confidence.