Fire retardant fabric

Textile

Fire retardant fabric

-It is textiles that are more resistant to fire compare to others.

-It is through chemical treatment or manufactured fireproof fibers.

Process

-It is made of polyester. Polyester is a very strong, elastic fibre which has high abrasion resistance, good durability and exceptional dimensional stability. It is unaffected dilute or medium concentrated mineral acids and has good resistance to hot or cold dilute alkalis.

-Basic polyester properties are combined with a permanent flame retardant the resultant fabrics are an ideal choice for curtains and bed screens.

Technical information

-Polyesters produce easy care fabrics that have excellent resistance to light and good crease resistance properties.

-It is resistant to UV degradation.

-These fabrics must be dry-cleaned with a non-liquid cleaning agent.

-The flame retardancy will last for the life od the fabric depends on the treated of repeated cleaning.

Limitations

-Need to maintain the chemical of the fabric.

-The flame retardancy of fabric will dissipate over time, particularly with repeated cleaning.

Normal usage

-Stage curtain fabric

-Curtain and furniture.

- Mostly use for curtain in public space such as hospital and institutions.

-Interior binds, bed cover

Environmental impact

-It can be reuse

-Technically speaking, polyester can be recycled.  Re use will be a better solution. As it is more difficult to process, reconstruct or pulping for reconstituting.

Advantages

-More protective

-Help to lessen the risk of fire

-Reduce its severity so that major catastrophes can be avoided.

-Greater need for care.

Disadvantages

-Require maintenance and care during laundry part.

-Hardly recycle as it is with chemical.

-More heavy.

Company in Australia

-http://www.materialised.com/index.html

-http://www.imaginefabrics.com.au/about.asp

Reference

-http://www.materialised.com/fabric_care_flame_retardant.html

-http://www.neirc.org/furniture_fabric.htm

-http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-fire-retardant.htm

Leather

Textile

-Can be differentiating into different type. Eg. Cotton, satin, lycra, leather and a lot more

Leather

Process

-Divide into 4 fundamental sub-processes: preparatory, tanning and crusting. After undergo these sub-processes, further step such as surface coating can be added into the leather process sequence too.

-Preparatory stages can be preservation, soaking, liming, remove hair, fleshing, splitting, relining, bating, bleaching, degreasing and pickling.

-Tanning is the process which converts the protein of the raw hide or skin into a stable material which will not putrefy.

-Crusting means the hiding skin is thinned and lubricated. It includes wetting back, shaving, neutralization, fixating and staking.

Technical information

-Leather will break down with the passage of time due to its natural fibers.

-It may break down due to undergo high temperatures and relative humidity.

-Leather can be differentiating into full grain, top-grain, corrected-grain and split in general. There are a lot more less-common type such as buckskin, patent leather, deerskin and others.

-Leather from other animals such as buffalo, goats, alligators, lamb, snakes, kangaroos, ostriches and pig skin. Different type of skin are used for different usage depends on their thickness and fabrication.

-It can be decorated with pyrography and beading.

Limitation

-Size limitation depends on skin from animal.

-Do not have an exact fix size.

Normal usage

-Sofa

-Rugs

-Clothing

Environmental impact

-It is harmful as it creates the impact of livestock.

-Chemical used heavily polluted environment.

-Air pollution due to the process of cleaning and solvent vapors.

-Can be re-use but leather biodegrades slowly.

Advantages

-Suitable for heavy industry compare to other type of textile.

-It can stand of dirt and can be wipe of easily.

Disadvantages

-Serious environmental impact cause.

- Time consuming as it is difficult to search for the right size and thicker to be sewed and used.

-Require more laborious to make.

Company in Australia

-http://www.leatherdirect.com.au/

- http://www.leffler.com.au/

Reference
-http://www.iultcs.org/leather_terms/index.asp

-http://www.elaw.org/system/files/L_scope.pdf

-http://allafrica.com/stories/200911050279.html