Flame retardancy and aspects of the vat dyes application on inherently flame retardant fabrics

Abstract

Abstract The paper presents research on the application of vat dyes to inherently flame resistant fabrics, using the conventional screen-printing method. The composition of the fabrics are defined within a scope of a project conducted in partnership of Croatian textile factory Cateks d.d. and University of Zagreb Faculty of Textile Technology. Fabrics are screen printed by using a vat dye Indanthren® Olive R (DyeStar, Germany) in two concentrations. After printing, a coloristic analysis of the obtained colouration is performed, based on instrumental spectrophotometric measurement and objective evaluation of the colouristic parameters (L*, C*, h°) and colour depth (K/S). The samples are tested for resistance to surface burning, and the colour fastness to dry/wet rubbing and light exposure are also tested. Excellent results of fire resistance and dry/wet rubbing resistance are achieved, while resistance to light exposure is lower to optimal.