Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Madurai, conducted Manak Manthan – Discussion on Indian Standard for IS 18931: 2024 FIRE RESISTANT FABRIC MADE OF COTTON, MAN-MADE FIBRES/FILAMENTS AND THEIR BLENDS — GENERAL AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS, at Cotton Research Station, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Srivilliputhur on 26 December 2024. 41 participants attended this meeting in physical mode. Farmers, Weavers, Industries, Faculty of Cotton Research Station, Faculty and students from Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education, Krishnankovil and Sethu Institute of Technology, Virudhunagar, participated in the Discussion.
IS 18931: 2024 specifies the general and performance requirements for fire resistant fabric made of cotton, man-made fibres/filaments and their blends. It applies to fabrics used in the manufacture of clothing for workers of various high risk industry sectors such as oil and gas, foundries, automotive, aviation and construction. This Standard includes the requirements of heat resistance, limited flame spread, heat transmission performance, tensile strength, tear strength, burst strength, dimensional change and pH value.
Shri S D Dayanand, Senior Director & Head of the BIS Madurai Branch Office, delivered the welcome address and outlined the program objectives. He also invited comments on this important Indian Standard which was published in November 2024. The Chief Guest, Dr. A. Muthu Sankarnarayanan, Retired Professor (Agronomy), delivered the inaugural address. He spoke about the applications of cotton in various industries, the types of cotton used and the spinning threads employed in the textile industry. Dr. N. Murugesan, Retired Professor of Entomology, discussed the establishment of the cotton research station and highlighted the types of cotton that are resistant to insect attacks and their various uses. A special address was given by Dr. M. Raju, Professor and Head, Cotton Research Station, Srivilliputhur and he thanked BIS for organizing the program at Cotton Research Station for the benefit of farmers, industries and students of Agricultural Research Institutes in Virudhunagar District. Dr R Thangapandiyan, Professor, Cotton Research Station, Srivilliputhur co-ordinated the program.
An in-depth presentation on the salient features of IS 18931:2024 FIRE RESISTANT FABRIC MADE OF COTTON, MAN-MADE FIBRES/FILAMENTS AND THEIR BLENDS — GENERAL AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS was presented by Smt. Hemalatha P. Panicker, Joint Director, BIS, Madurai. Her expertise provided insights into the intricacies of the standards and their practical implications.
After the presentation, a detailed open house discussion was held, and queries regarding the Indian Standard were clarified. Dr. N. Murugesan also explained how to make fire-resistant cotton using nylon. Participants were also encouraged to send comments and technical queries related to these Indian Standards and also that of Cotton fabrics to support the continuous improvement of Indian standards to BIS.