How flame retardancy works

Fire safety is the most significant technical requirement of an interior textile. Fabrics that perform well in potentially dangerous situations can help to ensure that buildings and interiors are safe places to work, socialise and live. But it’s not always that simple and there are many elements that play a part in fire security, not least the vast array of international flammability standards and test methods which apply in different parts of the world in the contract interiors sector.

How flame retardancy works

In order for a material to burn, three essential inputs are required: fuel, heat and oxygen. Break this cycle and you’re well on the way to achieving flame retardancy within a fabric and increasing the length of time it takes to burn.

The fuel element is the textile in question and any interior fixture/ fitting with the potential to burn. The heat is energy from the ignition source which can be in the form of either a flame or radiant heat.

Finally, all fires need to feed off oxygen found in the atmosphere. Whilst there are three ingredient elements of a fire, there are also three methods of achieving flame retardancy in a fabric: char, gas or melt.

• Char – Wool is naturally flame retardant and will form a char (alayer of charcoal) on its surface which blocks a certain intensityof flame and prevents it from spreading to the foam underneath.
• Gas – Certain additive flame retardant chemicals are releasedwhen burnt and act to smother and extinguish the flame.
• Melt – In some cases, the material behaves by melting like aliquid and flowing away from the flame, leaving nothing to ignite (however this can sometimes produce flaming droplets

which can potentially compromise safety).

There are different approaches to flammability internationally;  the UK standards (Medium Hazard) favour the barrier approach through the formation of a char, while some European standards are geared more towards melting away from the ignition source (French M1, German B1).

Young Yao 

Marketing development manager

Zhejiang Ruico Advanced Materials Co., Ltd. (Stock No.873233)

Add: No.188, Liangshan Road, Linghu Town, Nanxun District, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China 313018

Phone: +86 (572) 2903236

Fax: +86 (572) 2905222

WhatsApp: +86 15088303595

Website:www.ruicoglobal.com

Email: [email protected]