Flameret announced successful test results for Flamex when applied to hemp cloth. The test consisted of two groups. The control group used an untreated hemp cloth and when the source of heat was applied, the material was up in flames within about 6 seconds. The second group used the exact same hemp cloth treated with Flamex. Flamex is the company's proprietary, odorless, non-staining and bio-degradable flame retardant.
The source of heat was applied for approximately 1:20 (one minute and 20 seconds) on the hemp fabric that was treated with Flamex and although the material became discolored at the spot where the heat was applied, the material did not go up in flames. As in every experiment using Flamex to date, Flamex successfully coated a fabric (in this case, hemp cloth) and the fabric was resistant to flame.
Industrial hemp is one of the most useful agricultural products on the face of the earth. From 1776 to 1937, hemp was a major American crop and textiles made from hemp were common. Although there has never been a clear explanation established, the cultivation of industrial hemp was banned in the United States for decades. The main reason and the most plausible explanation has always been hemp's association with the marijuana plant.
For the hundreds of years before the ban, sailors relied upon hemp fibers that were spun into the world's best rope that could hold their ships and sails, and the coarseness of the fiber made hemp useful for canvas, sailcloth, sacks, rope, and paper.
While hemp was the premier choice for industry, the coarseness of the fiber extricated its use as an apparel. This all changed in the 1980's when researchers developed a process to treat raw hemp fiber to soften it so that it could be weaved alone or with other fibers to produce a modern textile. Christopher Columbus sailed to America on ships that traversed the oceans with sails made of hemp. For the first time ever, hemp was catapulted into applications of modern textile design.
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