Impact of fire retardant finish on the mechanical and comfort properties of cotton fabric

Abstract

The present study evaluates the hand value of cotton fabric treated with a newly developed fire-retardant (FR) finish with Ammonium Sulfamate and Sodium Stannate with the help of the Kawabata Evaluation System (KES). The analysis reveals that the FR treatment reduces fabric tensile energy (39%) and bending rigidity (13%) while increasing shear stress at 5⁰ angle (34%) and coefficient of friction (438%). These changes indicate that the FR treatment makes the fabric stiffer, less capable of withstanding external stress, and rougher in texture, resulting in less comfort to the wearer. Consequently, the FR-treated fabric demonstrates less potential for the tailoring and garment industry.