Thiruvananthapuram: Fabrics which don’t catch fire easily will find use not just in fire-fighting, but while cooking in homes too. That is the reason why industries are interested in the research being conducted by E. Bhoje Gowd and his team at CSIR-NIIST, Pappanamcode.
He is developing fire-retardant polymers, which find applications in textile, automobile and electronics industry. Recently, he was presented with Material Research Society of India medal for his work in polymer science and technology.
Many industries have approached his team to develop fire-retardant tyre cords. His research is different from earlier methods which would use halogens like bromine and chlorine.
The use of these chemicals is not encouraged anymore because of their toxicity. In their place, Gowd uses nano-fillers, which are mixed with commodity polymers like nylon, polythene or polypropylene to form nano-composites.
Gowd’s team has been studying how chain packing in PLLA affects the properties of materials and how it changes in different environments.
