Will my P/V kilt burst into flame?

[g koch]

I remember that Rayon was known to catch alight when exposed to a flame and as the authoritative description Poly/Viscose states the material to be a kind of a Rayon i was wondering if my occasional coughing of pipe embers or ritual 'Burning of the Pizza Boxes' is apt to have me running about as the 'Flaming Curmudgeon' rather than as the more sedentary 'Kilted Creep', a title with which i'm more comfortable.

[phil h]

get a swatch from your local fabric shop and try it.

[Rigged]

I spin fire for fun. Staff is my instrument of choice. I spin kilted, btw.

I wear cotton because is it slow to burn, even when lightly splashed with a flammable liquid (the liquid burns out faster than the material heats up). I know, because I got a sample of the material I was going wear while spinning and did a variety of flame tests on it.

I'd recommend doing the same with any material that might be exposed to open flame. Get a sample of the material from a fabric store and cut it into handkerchief-sized squares. Fire up the bar-b-que grill and (using oven mitts and tongs) try burning the material dry, damp with water, wet with water, splashed with lighter fluid, soaked with lighter fluid (and optionally, treated with flame retardant).

My technique was to get a flame going in the grill, put a rack over the flame (so that the flame rose up to the rack) and lay the material on the rack.

What you'll learn is how much time you have in different conditions before the material flares up or melts.

My short answer is: If you're going to be near open flame, wear dry natural materials (cotton, wool, or leather) -- the thicker the better.

Test a sample first to know how the material will react to flame.

[Jimmy Carbomb]

Regular rayon is highly flammable; however, it can now be made flame-resistant by adding special chemicals to the viscose solution. Consequently, flame-resistant rayon can now be found in institutional textiles.

An MSDS sheet NEEDS to made available to any manufacturer that stores the material. Ask YOUR kiltmaker to provide an MSDS on THEIR Poly-Viscose (since different mills use different processes). If the material is imported, there should have been an MSDS sheet arrive with the first order. If not... they can easily get one.

CARE: Advancements in technology have lead to improvements in the maintenance and durability of fabrics made from rayon.

Rayon fabrics can be bleached. However, some finishes used on rayon can be sensitive to chlorine bleach.

Fabrics containing rayon should be dry-cleaned or hand washed.

Hand wash - Use cool to luke warm water, add gentle suds and gentle squeeze suds through fabric and rinse. Do not wring or twist the fabric. Shake or smooth out the fabric and place to dry on a rust proof hanger. Knitted fabrics should be laid flat to dry.

The fabric can be pressed while damp or dry at a medium setting. It is often best to press on the wrong side of the fabric or use a pressing cloth while pressing on the right side of the fabric.

Damage can occur to rayon fabrics from acids, silverfish and mildew. Sunlight is not harmful.

IF there are flame retardant features in the material, this will survive better with the proper care and cleaning.

[richardljohnson]

*MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet)-reguired for any substance which could be harmful, dangerious or require special handling to be 'safe'.

RLJ--