Fiber Burn Test

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SAFETY PRECAUTION: Burn actual fabric; selvedge edge may not be the same fiber as the main piece of cloth & false reading of content. Always hold small piece of test fiber with tweezers, not with fingers. Hold fiber over wa setting it alight. Dont sniff burnt fiber until smoke dissipates. Dont touch fiber until bead cools. All synthetic fibe considered to be a serious drip danger & fume hazard. When set on fire, burning synthetic fabric can sizzle or drip it curls onto skin or fingernails, causing a nasty burn. If a burn occurs, submerge burned area in ice water immedia test may not distinguish between cotton & other cellulose fibers. Some fabric may have finishes that affect burn res Weighted silk (with added chemicals) may react more like synthetic fiber. Reaction to Fiber Bead After-Flame Ash Odor Sm Fiber Type Flame May flare when Burning Cotton Cellulose Fiber None Continues to glow Fine, soft Gr lit, burns paper flame is quickly, bright leaves, or smo Hemp " " removedbut does gray ash flame, wood not melt doesnt shrink Jute " " " " " from flame Linen (Flax) " " " " " " Ramie " " " " " " Burns without May glow a bit None unless Manufactured L flame or longer than cotton Soft, gray Burning Rayon there is a fabric cellulosic fiber melting; may ash paper after flame is finish flare removed Burned Burns slowly, Dark L Dark bead easily hair or Silk Protein fiber curls away from Self-extinguishing grittyfine sm crushed charred flame fu powder meat Burns slowly, Harsh ash Strong sizzles, D from odor curlsaway from Brittle, dark, Alpaca " " flame; may curl easilycrushed crushed ofhair or mo back onto bead feathers fingernail Cahmere " " " " " " Mohair " " " " " " Wool " " " " " " Burns quickly, Hot Melts into very hot Hard, brittle, can flare even vinegar or Bla Acetate, No ash bead; DRIP Triacetate burning fum uncrushable after flame is DANGER pepper removed Quick burning due to fabric finish; shrinks to flame Burns slowly & melts; selfextinguishing, DRIP DANGER

Nylon, Polymide

Hard, grayish uncrushable

No ash

Celery

Fu

Polyester

Quick burning, shrinks away from flame; may

Hard dark round bead

Burns slowly, not always selfextinguishing

No ash

Slightly sweet chemical

Bl fu

http://www.griffindyeworks.com/fiber_burn.htm

11/10/2005

Fiber Burn Test

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flare

odor

Acrylic, Modacrylic, Polyacrylic

Flares at match-touch, shrinks from flame, Hard, dark, burns rapidly, irregularshape hot sputtering flame; drip danger!

Continues melting after flame is removed;selfextinguishing

No ash

Strong acrid, sm fishy odor

2003 Griffin Dyeworks & Fiber Arts Information is given without guarantee on the part of Griffin Dyeworks & Fiber Arts.

http://www.griffindyeworks.com/fiber_burn.htm

11/10/2005