PERFORMANCE OF FLAME RETARDANT AND WATER REPELLENT FINISHES FOR KENAF/COTTON BLEND FABRICS.

The article discusses the results of a study on the application of water repellent and flame retardant finishes individually. The materials and methods used in the study are discussed, including experimental fabric, finishing application, fabric characterization, use of the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-FB) to measure the basic mechanical properties, compressional, tensile, bending and surface properties, scanning electron microscopy and thermal analyses. The study concluded that the application of the finish should be done in a one-step process to produce textile with efficient and durable water repellency and flame retardancy.