The effect of household fabric softener on flame resistance of cellulosic fabrics

Flammability of textile products refers to their burning behaviour, especially ease of ignition and continuous burning after ignition. The main objective of this project is to investigate the effects of fabric softeners on flame resistance of viscose rayon, cotton and linen fabrics. The test conducted in this project was flammability test. The ignition time, the flaming behavior, the duration of flaming, afterglow and the trip-thread test of fabric were evaluated. The standards used for this test was BS 5438-1991. The initial fabric properties after being treated with household fabric softener resulted in increasing value of fabric thickness and fabric weight. However, there was decreasing value of fabric density in all treated fabric. In conclusion, it shows that fabric softeners had a significant influence on the flame resistance property of viscose rayon and cotton fabric. The final results show that the ignition time and duration of afterglow were increased but it was opposite to the duration of flaming which decreased for each types of treated fabric. The final results also indicate that the fabric becomes more flammable after treated with fabric softener.