MICROWAVE DRYING OF FR COTTON FABRICS.

The effect of microwave drying on the physical and chemical properties of fabrics finished by a variety of commercial or common flame retardants has been examined. Excess reactants were used in most experiments to examine the effects of the drying procedure. Both microwave-dried and oven-dried fabrics were cured in the conventional manner in a forced draft oven and the finished fabric properties were compared. Physical properties of the fabrics differed somewhat, depending on the amount of tension during drying and the type of drying, with greater stiffness and lower tearing strength resulting from microwave drying or when tension was moderate. Durability of the finish to repeated laundering was generally unaffected by the mode of drying.