FR/HR Sewing Thread

This report contains information regarding the feasibility studies conducted by Nanosyntex during the US Army BAA project to design and develop a Fire Resistant FR and Heat Resistant HR sewing thread. The main goal of the project is to produce sewing threads made of blends of high performance and commodity fibers to reduce the cost of the thread while meeting the current military specifications of the sewing thread. Additionally, the ability to use up to 30 recycled fibers in the fiber blends of the yarn was successfully demonstrated. First, the yarns of the sewing thread were made using blends of nylon or cotton along with para-aramid and recycled para-aramid fibers. The individual yarns were then twisted into sewing threads using a twisting frame to produce 40 tex and 60 tex sewing threads. These threads were then dyed for tan color 499 as required by the US Army. The sewing threads were tested for physical and mechanical properties. The threads were also tested for fire and heat resistant characteristics. Fabrics sewn using the threads were laundered multiple times to determine any color changes to the thread. Final deliverables included submission of 18 cones of FRHR sewing threads and sewn fabrics to the sponsor.