Flame retardant textiles are used within a variety of industries, businesses, homes, and public spaces. They provide crucial protection from the spread of fire and the damage, injuries, and fatalities that can be caused should a fire spread as rapidly as possible without any barriers to its movement and growth. This post will look at some of the applications where flame retardant textiles are used and the benefits of them within any required space.
Benefits of flame retardant textiles
Textiles that are designed to prevent the spread of fire provide a vital role in any situation where a fire has occurred. Below are some of the benefits of flame retardant textiles within any industry or location:
Higher safety levels
This is the most crucial aspect when looking at the benefits of flame retardant textiles. They are essential in many different locations and settings. Flame retardant textiles are used in certain furnishings in domestic properties, in business spaces such as offices, and in public spaces where flammable materials are often common. Within some industries, such as the oil and gas sector, employees are protected by flame retardant textiles from burns that could be caused by electrical arcs and flash fires.
Compliance
Regulatory compliance for fire safety must also be considered when discussing flame retardant textiles. There are different regulations relating to specific industries, with different levels of fire protection legally required in a hospital than an industrial space for example, and specific obligations for landlords of domestic tenanted properties.
Provides peace of mind
For any environment, flame retardant textiles provide great peace of mind. This is especially the case in locations where there is a higher possibility of fire occurring, where there are vulnerable people working or living, or in areas where large numbers of people congregate.
Flame retardants
Textiles that are designed and manufactured to meet flammability standards for furniture, electronics, and myriad materials and applications, are used in many different areas of life. Flame retardants are a diverse group of chemicals that are added to textile products, with the following most commonly used in the textile industry to provide extra protection from fire.
Brominated flame retardant (BFR)
BFR is used within electronics and electrical equipment to prevent fires, such as in the enclosures of TV and computer monitors, electrical cables and insulation foam. BFR is also used in the back-coatings of curtains, seating and within upholstered furniture.
Chlorinated flame retardant (CFR)
CFR is used within textiles, plastics, and electrical equipment.
Phosphorous flame retardant (PFR)
PFR is used both in textile cellulose fibres and polymers. Phosphorous flame retardants are an alternative to bromine flame retardants. Although two specific phosphorous-containing flame retardants are forbidden in accessible textile materials, such as in children’s toys, they are likely to be found in back-coated materials and in plastics like PVC.
Nitrogen flame retardant (NFR)
Based on pure melamine or its derivatives, this type of flame retardant is mainly used in upholstered furniture for domestic settings, for car seats, and baby seats.
If you are responsible for the procurement of flame retardant textiles for use within your organisation or business, it is important to have access to the latest techniques and materials that make this possible. Certain suppliers have experience with flame retardant materials for a wide range of specific applications and industries, ensuring that the people working and living in certain situations have the highest levels of protection against fire and smoke. Where there is a danger of fire, or where it would be disastrous for a fire to spread, flame retardant textiles play a vital role in preventing the spread of fire and smoke, saving lives and properties in the process. Ensuring you purchase these materials from the highest quality manufacturer is very important.
