Nonflammable Crew Clothing Utilizing Phosphorus-Based Fire-Retardant Materials

For maintaining U.S. leadership in space exploration, there is an urgent need to develop nonflammable crew clothing with the requirements of comfort, ease of customization, durability and nontoxicity. The objective of this Phase II project is to continue the engineering development of heat and flame-resistant crew clothing (FRECLOTM) to satisfy NASA needs. FRECLO consists of InnoSense LLC (ISL) proprietary phosphorus-containing flame-retardant (FR) formulations permanently treated on synthetic, natural or blended fabrics as well as on the readymade garments. Phase I demonstrated the NASA use potential. Upon exposure to flame, FRECLO fabrics formed a carbonaceous char layer preventing further fire or heat-induced damage to the fabric. ISL's FR treatments are devoid of halogens, making the process environmentally-friendly and eliminating toxic byproducts during combustion. In Phase II, ISL will: (1) Optimize and scale-up FRECLO treatments, (2) Fine-tune FR formulations and application methods for performance optimization, (3) Perform rigorous evaluation of the treated fabrics, and (4) Evaluate off-gassing and biocompatibility of the treated fabrics. ISL has committed $100K as Phase II co-funding and has secured $300K as Phase III follow-on funding commitment from an industrial partner for successful technology transition. Large NASA prime contractors have strongly endorsed the FR materials.