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/* Water and oil repellency */
The use of flame treatment is regulated by the provisions of building codes or other provisions for fire safety, such as for clothes for work where they can be exposed to fire and heat. Even for upholstery and curtains there is a need to provide flame treatment. In principle, all fibers of organic origin can be ignited at high temperatures, but the most important is to prevent local fires from spreading. Frequently used textile fibers, such as cotton, can have fire retardant properties by various treatments. The most common way to provide fire protection on standard textile fibers is by impregnation with chemicals which contain nitrogen and phosphorus or a combination of halogenated hydrocarbons and antimony. Phosphorus-nitrogen compounds can be wash-resistant to cellulose fibers and is also available in flame-washable polyester fibers. Halogenated hydrocarbons and antimony usually provides poor wash ability and are therefore used mainly in materials that are not going to be washed. Another relatively frequent treatment for fire protection of wool fiber and its protein is to use salts from metals such as titanium and zirconium. There are also synthetic high temperature fibers to choose as an alternative to chemical treatment.
==Water and , oil and stain repellency==A fabric can be made water and oil repellent by a polymer coat put on the fabric. This makes the fabric completely sealed which can cause comfort problems since the body's evaporation and perspiration cannot be vented. The fibrous material can also be made water and oil repellent by the fiber surfaces that have low surface energy that is not wetted by water or oil. Since ancient times, there have been treatments with waxes, metal soaps and paraffin. These treatments will repel water, but they have not been able to resist oils. Silicone can provide water repellency and in some cases oil repellency, while fluorocarbons are now becoming increasingly common in use to provide water and oil repellency. The treatments with waxes, paraffin, metal soaps and silicones had limited wash-resistant functions. Fluorocarbons are becoming increasingly common in use to provide water, oil and stain repellency, while fluorocarbons have good wash fastness if you follow the special washing instructions. ===Water repellents===DWR (durable water repellent) is a coating added to fabrics at the factory. Durable water repellents (DWRs) are applied to garments and products to allow for breathability and water repellency. Common factory-applied treatments are fluorochemicals. Certain DWRs are known to have persistent, bioaccumulative and toxicological effects on the environment. The durable water repellent coatings used in the fashion and textile industry are currently not bio-based or biodegradable. Water repellent coatings also inhibit recyclability.====Innovation opportunities====• Investigate non-fluorochemical coatings, such as silicones, polyurethane (PU) and waxes. Although these coatings are recyclable on their own, they inhibit recyclability when applied to a dissimilar base layer. These coatings have the potential for recyclability if applied to a similar base layer.1<br/>• Work with manufacturers to create bio-based or biodegradable water repellent finishes.<br/>• Investigate recyclable waterproofing agents. Sympatex is made of completely safe polyether/ester, a combination of polyester and polyether molecules that is reportedly recyclable if applied to a similar base layer (i.e. polyester). Sympatex contains zero fluorochemicals.2<br/>• Investigate durable water repellents from alternative, renewable non-toxic resources, such as castor oil.===Stain repellents===Stain repellent finishes are used to provide stain, soil and grease release and repellency to fabrics. Fluorochemicals are the most employed repellents used for textiles. The largest concern for chemicals used for soil and stain repellent finishes is perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), which is used in the manufacture of stain repellent finishes for textiles. PFOA is also produced indirectly through the gradual breakdown of fluorochemicals.3 PFOA is very persistent in the environment and has been found at very low levels both in the environment and in the blood of the general U.S. population.4 Recycling of textiles with stain repellent finishes is also very difficult. Flurochemicals are currently being phased out by major industrial users.5====Innovation opportunities====• Investigate short chain fluorocarbons that do not degrade into PFOA.<br/>• Investigate stain resistant finishes that do not involve the use of PFOA, such as finishes from DuPont.<br/>
==Antistatic Treatment==
