ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

RSM-driven synthesis of nickel fluoroborate and its flame-retardant power on cotton

Selçuk Arıkan, Levent Nuralın, and Murat Bilen

Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Science, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey

E-mail: selcukarikan21@gmail.com

Received: 7 October 2025  Accepted: 2 May 2026

Abstract:

In this study, the synthesis parameters of nickel fluoroborate were determined, and its applicability on cotton fabrics was investigated. Nickel fluoroborate was synthesized using a wet chemical method with nickel oxide (NiO) and fluoroboric acid (HBF₄) as reactants, where the key parameters investigated were the HBF₄/NiO molar ratio, temperature, and reaction duration. The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was employed for optimization, leading to the establishment of the following optimum synthesis conditions: a 4:1 molar ratio, a temperature of 90 °C, and a duration of 100 min. Under these conditions, nickel fluoroborate was produced with a 98% yield and 89.5% purity, and the product was comprehensively characterized using Inductively Coupled Plasma–Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP–OES), Fluoroborate (BF₄⁻) ion-selective electrode, X-ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). In the second phase of the study, the applicability of nickel fluoroborate to cotton fabrics was evaluated, and the LOI test results confirmed its effective flame-retardant performance. The study is considered novel and is expected to make significant contributions to the literature.

Keywords: Boron compounds; Response surface methodology; Nickel fluoroborate; Flame retardant; Cotton fabric; LOI

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-05001-2

Chemical Papers 80 (9) 10233–10243 (2026)