CitroTech and the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) has announced a 12-month research partnership to develop water-based polymer technologies for fire-resistant textiles.
According to the company, the collaboration is focused on addressing a persistent gap in fire-resistant materials: developing wash-durable, skin-safe textile coatings that maintain flame resistance even after repeated use and laundering – an area where conventional solutions often fall short.
Initial applications are expected in firefighting gear and industrial textiles, where durability and safety are critical, with longer-term potential across home furnishings and consumer products.
“Protecting people more directly”
Andrew Hotsko, Chief Operating Officer at CitroTech commented: “CitroTech has built its reputation on delivering fire resilience in some of the most demanding environments, from construction materials and utility infrastructure to roadside and vegetation management.
“This partnership is about extending that foundation into textiles, working alongside the foremost minds in polymer science to introduce a new class of environmentally safe, fire-resistant solutions.
“We’re taking chemistry proven at scale and applying it to a category that has seen limited innovation, with the goal of protecting people more directly in the environments where they live and work,” he concluded.
Partnership
Essential to this partnership is the combination of CitroTech’s patented portfolio of fire-inhibitor chemistries and the expertise of Dr Jaime Grunlan, a globally recognised leader in polymer science whose research has helped shape modern approaches to flame retardancy.
Together, CitroTech and Texas A&M researchers are accelerating the transition from academic discovery to real-world application, addressing longstanding challenges around durability, performance and chemical safety.
“Perform consistently outside the lab and at scale”
Dr Grunlan added: “Flame retardancy has long required trade-offs between safety, durability and practicality, particularly in textiles that are washed, worn and exposed to the elements.
“What makes this work meaningful is the ability to move beyond those limitations.
“We’re moving toward solutions that can perform consistently outside the lab and at scale, which is ultimately what’s needed to better protect homes, first responders and the communities they serve.”
Features
The technology under development uses water-based polymers that form a thin, durable layer on fabric.
When exposed to heat or flame, that layer reacts by expanding and forming a protective shield, helping slow fire spread and insulate the material beneath.
Unlike many conventional treatments, CitroTech said that these coatings are designed to stay in place over time and avoid the use of chemicals of concern, including PFAS and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
As part of the initiative, CitroTech is funding dedicated research at TEES, including graduate-level work and advanced testing, creating a direct pipeline from early-stage research to product development.
The company explained that this collaboration reflects a broader strategic focus on expanding CitroTech’s portfolio through investment in cleaner, high-performance technologies that address evolving fire risks.
“Safer, more effective fire-resistant materials”
“This partnership exemplifies TEES’s mission to connect leading research with industry to solve complex, real-world challenges,” said Dr Robert H Bishop, Vice Chancellor and Dean of Texas A&M Engineering.
“We’re building a blueprint for the future of safer, more effective fire-resistant materials, with far-reaching implications not only for individual safety, but for the resilience of the communities and systems we depend on.”
Support
CitroTech stated that it will further support industry collaboration as a lead sponsor of the upcoming Fire and Polymer Workshop in San Diego, where researchers and industry leaders will convene to advance next-generation approaches to flame retardancy and material safety.