Aqueous Polyelectrolyte Complex as One Pot Nanocoating Solution to Impart Antiflammable Behavior to Various Substrates

Abstract

A method includes coating a substrate to provide a flame resistant substrate. In an embodiment, the method includes preparing a solution. The solution includes an anionic material, a cationic material, and water. The method further includes exposing the substrate to the solution to produce a coating on the substrate. The coating has cationic material and anionic material.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A flame-retardant coating comprising:
 a cationic material; and   an anionic material, wherein a cumulative weight-percent of the cationic material and the anionic material depends upon a type of a substrate on which the cationic material and the anionic material are disposed.   
     
     
         2 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 1 , wherein the type of the substrate corresponds to a cotton fabric, wherein a thickness of the flame-retardant coating is between 40 nanometers and 500 nanometers, and wherein the cationic material and the anionic material comprise a polyelectrolyte complex. 
     
     
         3 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 1 , wherein the weight percent of the cationic material is between 1.0 weight percent and 99.0 weight percent, and wherein the weight percent of the anionic material is between 1.0 weight percent and 99.0 weight percent such that the cumulative weight percent of the cationic material and the anionic material is 100 weight percent. 
     
     
         4 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the flame-retardant coating is between 10 nanometers and 1 micrometer. 
     
     
         5 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 3 , wherein a thickness of the flame-retardant coating is between 40 nanometers and 500 nanometers. 
     
     
         6 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 1 , wherein, the flame-retardant coating passes a standard associated with a vertical flame test, and wherein the vertical flame test corresponds to an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D6413 vertical flame test. 
     
     
         7 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 1 , wherein the cationic material comprises a nitrogen-rich molecule, and wherein the nitrogen-rich molecule corresponds to melamine. 
     
     
         8 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 1 , wherein the anionic material comprises a phosphate molecule. 
     
     
         9 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 8 , further comprising a substrate upon which the cationic material and the anionic material are disposed, and wherein the substrate comprises a fabric. 
     
     
         10 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate comprises cotton, and wherein the cationic material and the anionic material have a cumulative weight percent between approximately 1 weight percent to approximately 30 weight percent. 
     
     
         11 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate comprises a first blend of cotton and nylon or a second blend of cotton and polyester, and wherein the cationic material and the anionic material have a cumulative weight percent between approximately 5 weight percent to approximately 25 weight percent. 
     
     
         12 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 9 , wherein the substrate comprises cotton, and wherein the cationic material and the anionic material have cumulative weight percent between approximately 5 weight percent to approximately 20 weight percent. 
     
     
         13 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 1 , wherein, in response to exposure of the flame-retardant coating to a vertical flame test, a charred region resulting from exposure to a heat source associated with the vertical flame test is less than 4″ long. 
     
     
         14 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises any flammable substrate and further comprising
 a crosslinker, wherein the crosslinker comprises a curable crosslinker, and wherein the crosslinker is configured to crosslink the cationic material and the anionic material.   
     
     
         15 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 14 , further comprising an additive for ultraviolet protection, wherein the additive corresponds to titanium dioxide. 
     
     
         16 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 14 , wherein the cumulative weight-percent of the cationic material layer and the anionic material layer is between approximately 1 weight percent to approximately 30 weight percent. 
     
     
         17 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 14 , wherein the substrate comprises a fabric. 
     
     
         18 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 14 , wherein the cationic material layer comprises melamine. 
     
     
         19 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 18 , wherein a thickness of the flame-retardant coating is approximately 40 nanometers. 
     
     
         20 . The flame-retardant coating of  claim 18 , wherein a thickness of the flame-retardant coating is approximately 500 nanometers.