Preparation of Natural Silk Protein-Based Flame Retardant

To counter paper flammability, SF-JR400/MP-SiO 2 sourced from natural silk protein may be applied to the paper surface using layer-by-layer assembly (LbL). The microstructure and composition of the coating may be assessed using SEM, FTIR and XPS. Presence of the coating increases the paper combustion limiting oxygen index (LOI) from 20.4% to 38%. Compared to untreated DBP, TGA analysis shows that the initial decomposition temperature of DBP rises from 115˚C to 148˚C. Residual char yield increases from 11.3% to 38.8%. The formation of a surface char layer protects paper internal fibers from heat feedback and consequent thermal decomposition. Analysis using CONE indicates that a 25-layer assembly can reduce the peak and total heat dissipation by 88.4% and 54.7%, respectively analysis suggests that silk may function as an agent to accelerate the coating, formation of a protective.