The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-02
TREAT COTTON
TO RESIST FIRE
Chemical Process Discovered to
Make Clothing fireproof

Aliiullt lily y. ~, 'D'l. H.--t M
dren now may be- dressed IN nrcproof
clothing. actors may have thcr eos
tunes treated TO resist flame, lace cur
tains that usually are a menace in
homes lishted with gas or oil may be-
made less hazardous The problem of
making cotton safe article Of apparel
was explained today TO the members
Of the National Association of Cotton
Manufacturers in session here by Prof
William Henry Pcrltin of the Univer-
Sity of Manchester OEngland) who
made upwards of 10000 burning tests
Before a solution was found chat would
stand constant washing with soap anu
other compounds and remain non
combustiblc.
Professor Perkin demonstrated be-
fore the manufacturers four specimens
treated II resist fire. The first was
the material processed but not wash
ed; the second the treated material ar
ter being washed ten times by hand;
the third showed the material after be
ing machine washed twenty times IN
"a laundry, and finally a portion Of
garment in actual use for two years.
washed every week and practically in
rags. All resisted fire and Professor
perliin asserted that no amount Of
washing with hot soap ana water
would remove the fire proofing agent.
Use Chemical Process
The process was described as follows.
The cotton fabric is run through a
solution OF sodium stannatc of approx
mately g. degrees Tw. in such a man
ner that it becomes thoroughly inn
pregnated, It is then squeezed to re-
move the excess Of the solution. pass
ed over heated copper drums in order
10 thoroughly dry IT, after which it is
run through solution of ammonia
sulphate of about II degrees Tw. and
again squeezed and dried. Apart from
the precipitated stannic oNide Uim the
material now contains sodium eulphatc
and this is removed by passage
through water; the material ia then
dried and subjected 10 the ordinary
processes of finishing. \ long series
Of trials carried out under the most
stringent conditions, have conclusivcly
proved that material subjected to this
process is permanently fire-proot.'
Most of the experiments thus far
made have been with flannelette be-
cause that material is generally de-
manded for childrcn's clothing. Speak
ing of the cXtraordnary property of
resisting soap and water that is pos
sessed by material SO treated, Profess
sor Perkin said it seemed To indicate TO
him that the oxide OF tin Is not pres
ent merely as an insolublc precipitate
I'm the cloth, but must have entered
into some actual combination with the
fiber. yielding a compound which is
not broken down by the action of the
weak alkali of the soap.
Does Not Affect Texture
"Eut a matter of hardly less i'm
portance from the practical point Of
view is that the material is not only
permanently fire-proofcd by the proc
css I have just described. hut il also
retains and acquires properties which
make il as perfect a material in all
other respects rs could he desired. I'm
the first place the treatment has no cf-
feet on the delicate colors which are
now so generally employed in conncr-
ton with the manufacture of flannel
cite and other cotton goods ana very
careful experiments have demonstrat-
ed the fact that the insoluhle tin com
pound in the fiber has not the slightest
doleterous action on the most delicate
skin. In addition, the presence of tn"
tin compound in the pores gives the
cloth a softer and fuller feel than that
Of the original fl9nnelette and what
perhaps is the most unexpected result
is the fact that the material is con-
siderably strengthened by the process.
Prevent Many Disasters
"A series Of tests made 10y the Man
chester Chamber of Commerce proved
that the tensile strength Of flannelctte
is increased nearly 20 per cent as the
result of the introduction of the tin
compound into the fiber.
1T seems to me that it Is ohvious
that. If this process or some other
process capable of giving the same
protection from fire was adopted in
the case of all inflammablc cotton
goods and especially in the case Of ma
tcrial used for garments, many disas-
trous fires and the appalling loss OF
life. especially among young children,
might he avoided, and it is for this
the subject of the permanent fire