Flammability characteristics of cotton and polyester fibers

Abstract

AbstractThis study was undertaken to measure quantitatively the flammability characteristics of cotton and polyester fibers. The smoke density generated during the burning of these fabrics was also studied at various temperature conditions. A mathematical relationship was established between the results obtained in an oxygen‐depleted atmosphere chamber and those obtained in a chamber in which there was constant replenishing of an oxygen and nitrogen atmosphere. Three commercially available flame‐retardant treatments were utilized in this study. The effect of temperature as well as the influence of fabric weight on the flammability behavior and the smoke density of these fabrics were investigated. A novel instrument built according to ASTM standards was employed throughout this study; it was found to be versatile, convenient, and highly reproducible in the generation of the data. It was found that polyester fabrics generate far more smoke than cotton fabrics without the phenomenon of afterglow. It was found also that as the temperature increases, the smoke density of cotton fabrics increases as well, but in the case of polyester fabrics the opposite relationship was obtained.