Acrylic Paranoia Frustrates Me
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Original Post
So, as some people may know, when acrylic yarn catches fire it slowly melts.
Crochet or knitted acrylic yarn is still resilient enough to be used as pot holders as well as (if not better) than store bought pot holders or mittens. . .but if this same pot holder were to have a flame directly applied to it, instead of going up in flames, it melts.
Instead of the entire thing going up in flames and catching other flammable items it simply melts where the air (if cool) quickly solidifies it.
If you take a skein of acrylic yarn, pull out the string, and light the end, the piece applied to the flame melts and as soon as the fire is pulled away quickly solidifies. The rest of the skein is not affected.
Someone in another post said they would never wear anything that melts (which is what inspired this post). I'm surprised someone would rather wear something that if caught would go up in flame, at the risk of catching the rest of their garments and moreso themselves.
Posted at 9:13pm Mar 17, 2007 EDT
Responses
Maybe people are just afraid of having something melt directly on them? It may appear to be more painful than direct flame (which sounds kinda stupid when said out loud... lol).
Posted at 9:29pm Mar 17, 2007 EDT
i love acrylic :)
this'll make you smile.
my boss took her son's vegan PETA-Nazi Girlfriend out to eat. she proceded to get tanked, ordered, and happly, greedily wolfed down, a GIANT RARE BLOODY porterhouse steak.
:D
Posted at 9:31pm Mar 17, 2007 EDT
probably cause if you are wearing something that caught fire, the natural fabric would burn away to ash....but the acrylic would melt into your skin.
By the time you got to the burn unit, peeling that melted plastic off your skin will be a lot worse than any burns you may have gotten from the natural fabric...
that would be my guess....
brenda
Posted at 12:45am Mar 18, 2007 EDT
A piece of flamming coconut marshmallow once landed on my arm and it wasn't good. I would much rather have something burn than melt on me.
Posted at 12:48am Mar 18, 2007 EDT
ummm, not to be a pain, but I think Kate was sort of kidding. I mean, she also censored the color purple--the hue, not the book/movie. Just saying...
Posted at 12:51am Mar 18, 2007 EDT
...even so it sucks having hot stuff melt on your skin.
Posted at 12:59am Mar 18, 2007 EDT
Even if she were joking, I've known many people in my years of working in craft and fabric stores that would never want something that can melt to their skin. On the flip side, though, all that flame resistant fabric they use for kids sleepwear does just that--melts. Or so I hear... Could just be rumor.
Posted at 1:04am Mar 18, 2007 EDT
Well, most synthetics will melt in some fashion if they're heated to a high enough temp. I mean, they are forms of plastic. It's just how it is. The idea is to avoid the fires though--that's the best idea ;)
Posted at 1:07am Mar 18, 2007 EDT