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Abstract

Resistance to solvent and aqueous-based cleaning of a borax-based smolder retardant finish for cotton upholstery fabric was evaluated. Cotton fabrics, which weighed 380 g/m ² and 610 g/m² were treated with a smolder retardant containing borax, phosphoric acid and trimethylolacetylenediurene crosslink ing resin. Samples of each finished fabric were subsequently subjected to treat ment with either perchloroethylene, Stoddard solvent, aqueous prespotting agent followed by Stoddard solvent, aqueous foam shampoo or aqueous liquid detergent shampoo. Small, statistically insignificant losses in boric acid con tent of treated fabrics were found after all cleaning procedures except the per chloroethylene treatment which resulted in statistically significant losses. Smolder resistance was retained by all samples except the one which was prespotted and then treated with Stoddard solvent. Morphologic changes in the fabric surface after cleaning were examined using scanning electron micro scopy.

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References

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Cleaning Resistance of a Borax-Based Smolder Retardant on Cotton Upholstery Fabric

Abstract

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