Cotton fabrics treated with hybrid organic-inorganic coatings obtained through dual-cure processes

Cotton fabrics were treated with a hybrid organic-inorganic coating obtained through a dual-cure process, i. e. a photopolymerization reaction followed by a thermal treatment for promoting the formation of silica phases through a sol-gel process. To this aim, different amounts of a silica precursor were added to an acrylic UV-curable formulation in the presence of a suitable coupling agent. The thermo-mechanical properties of the treated fabrics were investigated and correlated to the composition and morphology of the hybrid organic-inorganic system. Furthermore, their flame retardancy and combustion behavior were evaluated by flammability tests and cone calorimetry and compared with the performances of pure cotton.