Denim is one of the most commonly used apparel materials. It also sees use as furnishing fabrics these days. With how common the material is, it’s pretty normal to question the safety hazards.
Such as, is Denim fire resistant? Or is denim flammable?
Yes, denim is flammable. After all, all the natural and synthetic fibers utilized in the apparel world are combustible. But special treatments can make denim or jeans flame resistant.
However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to is jeans flammable or not. If you keep reading, you will get more information regarding the matter, which will broaden your overall knowledge about jeans.
What Is Denim and What Are Its Properties?
First of all, let’s understand what denim is. So, denim is a fabric that’s made from clean cotton fibers. These fibers are woven tightly together through an industrial machine.
It’s a strong cotton wrap-face texture in which the weft runs under two or multiple warn yarns. That eventually creates a diagonal ribbon, separating denim from other cotton-type fabrics.
Common Types of Denim
Denim is highly versatile, which is the reason why there are so many different types of it. To give you an idea, here’s a description of the common ones –
- 100% Cotton: The 100% cotton denim is the most common. As the name suggests, it has no other fabrics besides cotton. That makes it durable and comfortable.
- Washed Denim: After dying, this type of denim goes through a wash. Due to being washed, this type of jeans is generally softer to wear and has more of a uniform color.
- Raw Denim: This fabric does not go through the washing phase after dying. That’s why it’s also called dry denim. And it is stiffer than washed denim but softens over time.
Is Denim Flammable?
Now that you have a fair idea about denim let’s get into offering info on is denim fire safe or not. While the flammability of leather may surprise you, the flammability of denim is not that interesting.
After all, it’s a piece of clothing with fabric. And anything that’s of fabric will catch fire when it comes in contact with an open flame, spark, or other ignition sources. For that reason, you should not keep them near any heat sources.
Is There Fire-Resistant Denim Available
There are different versions of fire-resistant denim available in the market. Let’s take a closer look to understand them –
- Flame-resistant regular denim fabric: This type of denim is treated with a special flame-resistant finish. This finish makes the piece of cloth capable of withstanding extreme heat.
- Cotton fire-resistant denim fabric: As the name suggests, this type of flame-resistant denim is made of 100% natural cotton. However, unlike regular jeans, these go through a unique FR processing, which makes them fire-resistant.
- Fire-resistant Amtex jeans: These jeans are made of Amtex 100% cotton. It’s basically a specially treated fabric that’s ready for purchase. So, jeans made of this type of fabric do not require additional treatments.
Can Denim Be Treated to Become Fire-Resistant? How?
By treating the denim with nano SiO2, borax, and boric acid, it’s possible to make it flame-resistant. This treatment will give the fabric a flame-resistant finish, allowing it to withstand heat better.
The treatment can even prevent the flame from spreading around. That will make sure that the severity of the accidental fires is low.
But this special treatment increases the manufacturing cost of the clothing item. For that reason, you do not see it being adopted at a large scale.
Factors that Affect Denim Flammability
There are some factors that play a role in dictating how flammable a piece of denim is. They are –
Fabric Type
As you know, a piece of untreated denim fabric will be more flammable than a treated option. And how flame-resistant denim is will depend on the type of treatment that it has gone through.
Weight of the Fabric
The thickness and weight of the fabric can determine how flammable the denim is. After all, it takes a long time for a thick and dense object to catch fire.
Fabric Weave
A tighter weave can make a piece of denim less flammable. It will basically increase the heft and thickness, which, as you know, makes the clothing less likely to catch fire.
Are There Any Regulations or Standards for the Flammability of Denim?
There are standards and regulations for the flammability of denim. It is known as General Warning Apparel Standard. The main purpose of this standard is to keep dangerously flammable textile products out of commerce.
On that note, there are three different classes in the standard. Among them, Class 3 textiles are regarded as the most dangerously flammable ones. And Class 1 is the safest.
As you can guess, manufacturers must ensure that Class 3 textiles are not used for wearing apparel.
Also, manufacturers need to provide care and use instructions for every product residing in each class. Otherwise, the product is not compliant with the standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can wearing denim clothing cause burns?
Wearing denim does not cause any burns. Any clothing item will not burn unless you make it come in contact with high heat.
2. What should you do if your denim clothing catches fire?
Cover your face with your hands first if your denim clothing catches fire. Do not run, as running will increase the intensity of the fire. Instead, drop to the ground and roll forward and backward to smother the flame.
3. Does the dye in denim affect its flammability?
The dye does not affect the flammability of denim. Instead, it’s the coating on the surfaces that has an impact.
4. What are the best ways to prevent denim from catching fire?
Purchase flame-resistant or fire-resistant denim. Do not expose the clothing to high heat sources. Also, make sure that you know what to do when the denim catches fire.
Final Words
So, is denim flammable? The short answer is yes, denim is flammable. In fact, any type of clothing is combustible. Therefore, you should be extra careful when there’s a heat source nearby.
Moreover, it’s better to purchase flame-resistant clothing. Those will offer you the peace of mind that you need in this regard
