Let’s take a look at inherently fire-resistant fabrics. Before we start, it’s important to note that no fabric is fireproof; given enough time, it will burn. That being said, some materials out there resist fire more than others. For example, we all know that cotton burns easily and rapidly. However, wool and Kevlar inherently resist flames because of the fiber's structure. A tightly woven wool fabric will take longer to burn than cotton or linen.
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The first thing you should know about fire retardant fabrics is that there are two main types: Inherently or Chemically Treated. A fabric is inherently or chemically flame retardant, which matters when it comes to what you’re using the fabric for and how long you want it to last. Over time you can wash out chemicals, but if you take care of your fabric, it can last a long time. Remember, some fabrics are naturally more resistant to catching fire than others. Like tightly woven wool takes longer to burn than cotton.
Inherently fire-retardant fabrics are excellent for use in your home, especially for things like curtains and drapes. (This is one way to protect your home and family from fire and chemically treated materials). These fabrics can also be used in tents, health care fabrics, drapes, tarps, military applications, awnings, banners, and signs.
Finding the proper manufacturer for your fire retardant project/product is essential, especially when considering chemically treated fire retardant fabrics. That’s why Herculite Inc. offers customers a variety of products that are not only fire retardant but meets the National Fire Protection Association standards.
The NFPA is the world’s leading advocate of fire prevention and an authoritative source on public safety; NFPA develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards.
The application of flame-retardant fabrics is far-reaching. For example, Herculite Inc. offers the Sure-Chek® high-performance fire barrier fabric. The Sure-Chek® fire barrier fabric is flame resistant and self-extinguishes when removing a source flame. These products are manufactured and tested by accepted industry standards.
Additionally, Herculite offers an ultra-high fire barrier fabric Sure-Chek® Blaze Blocker HP, an open-flame barrier fabric. This inner liner fabric enables mattresses to pass the California Technical Bulletin 129, Boston Fire Code 9-XII (full-scale open flame, complete mattress burn tests). Sure-Chek® Blaze Blocker HP also passes California Technical Bulletin 133 (full-scale open flame, full chair burn test).
Herculite’s awning composite textiles are also excellent examples of an inherently flame [C1] retardant fabric (PVC composite) with practical uses. Some municipalities will mandate fire-resistant awning fabrics, and checking ahead will reduce potential project delays.
Flame-retardant textiles are used in various applications where fire safety is critical. These textiles are designed to resist ignition, delay flame spread, and limit the extent of burning when exposed to a fire or heat source. Here are some common uses of flame-retardant textiles:
Flame-retardant textiles are crucial in various industries and settings where fire safety is paramount. They provide an added layer of protection, reduce the spread of flames, and allow more time for evacuation or fire suppression measures in emergencies.
Flame standards for textiles refer to regulations and testing methods that determine the flammability characteristics of textile materials. These standards assess the fabric's resistance to ignition, flame spread, and other fire-related behaviors. Compliance with flame standards ensures that textiles meet specific safety requirements and reduce the risk of fire hazards. Here are some commonly used flame standards for materials:
These are just a few examples of flame standards for textiles. Different countries may have national or regional standards that manufacturers and suppliers must comply with to ensure the safety of textile products. It is essential to consult the relevant standards and regulations applicable to your specific region or intended market to make sure it is in compliance.
Well, they are fabrics that have been coated with a fire-resistant chemical. Today, there are more than 175 different types of flame retardants, according to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). These chemical types are brominated, chlorinated, phosphorus-containing, nitrogen-containing, and inorganic flame retardants. Flame retardant chemicals are also known as PBDEs or polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
Keep in mind that PBDEs are chemical, and you might have questions about their safety. Visit the Center for Disease Control’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s Web site for more information at: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=900&tid=183.
If you buy a treated fabric, remember that the chemical starts to wear down as you wash and use it. Inherently fire retardant fabrics don’t suffer from this issue. You may also consider that adding an FR treatment to a material may void the manufacturer's warranty.
Today we are laying it all open and getting to the meat of the matter. We're answering the burning questions (see what we did there!) that we're often asked, hoping to give the world a clearer, 360 view of what fire retardant textiles are all about.
Fabric is classified as fire retardant fabric based on, unsurprisingly, the time it takes for the fabric to burn and at what temperatures it does so. Our fabrics undergo rigorous testing in independent laboratories. The fabric is then assessed on a range of criteria to show the strength of the fire retardant properties, so that the end consumer can know exactly what they're investing in.
Tests are carried out in laboratories like Labotex for the speed at which the fabrics catch fire, using methods such as a gas burner or gas flame, smoldering cigarette, a small stack of dry wood
There are also worldwide furniture standards that measure the fire retardant properties of upholstered furniture through testing such as Britain's BS . Check out our post 3 things you need to know about upholstery fabric testing for a read jam-packed with information.
Fabric may be naturally fire retardant due to the fiber's innate properties: FR-One uses 100% Inherently FR Polyester for this same reason. Polyester is also easy care and durable, whereas fabrics such as wool could shrink after washing - which isn’t something you want happening on your furniture!
Besides durability and fire retardancy, our fabrics are just, well, amazingly soft. No really. You need to feel it to believe it. We’re all about that luxurious feel here, combining an easy elegance with a coziness you can feel.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website Fire Retardant Cotton Fabric.
While some fabrics can also be treated with a fire retardant chemical that resists heat and helps to extinguishes flames, this is not the way FR-One safeguards our fabrics. FR-One Fire Retardant fabrics begin by perfecting the fibers with Inherent Fire-Retardant characteristics (IFR), a quality that is embedded in the molecular structure of the fiber and will therefore never diminish.
The best solution is inherent FR polyester, because it starts us off with a naturally high base level of fire resistance - and then we add the FR-One magic. This guarantees that our fire retardant fabrics look and feel just like natural ones, and that's even before they undergo rigorous testing for high safety standards!
Certain textiles do naturally resist fire better than others. For example:
Acrylic, polyester and nylon are also all considered fire retardant fabrics, as they catch fire at a much higher temperature than natural fibers.
There are three different ways a fabric can be made fire retardant, so we'll start off with the best and most efficient way: it's when the FR properties are inherent in the yarn itself.
This is what makes FR-One special. We do not apply treatments or finishes to fabrics, nor do we coat our fabrics. There are ways though to make your textiles fire retardant using chemical treatments and finishes, and we'll have a quick look at those below.
There are two types of treatment commonly used in fire retardant upholstery:
Coating: With the coating technique, a fire retardant back-coating is applied to the fabric in question. This stiffens the fabric, making it better for upholstery use. The coating technique is considered less suitable as curtain fabric though, as the drape of the material end up less natural than with other fabric treatments.
Dipping: Another common fire-treatment method is known as chemical dipping, which is more often used for fabrics made from natural fibers (or that have a high percentage of natural fibers). As the technique suggests, the fabric is dipped into a chemical solution, which absorbs into the fibers, creating a barrier between the fiber and the flame.
Should the fabric catch fire, the chemicals applied during the fabric treatment process are activated by the heat, triggering a chemical reaction which extinguishes the flame - similar to the way chemical fire-extinguishers work.
Not wanting our beautiful designs to have anything to do with fire extinguishers, however, we went down a different path. We spent years researching and producing and testing, crafting our fabrics from the fiber up to be fire retardant as default. The actual chemical structure of the fabric itself is not flammable: that's what we mean when we say inherently fire retardant.
These intrinsic properties can never be removed from the molecular structure of the fabric. What you buy from FR-One will remain fire retardant...permanently.
What about caring for this indestructibly fire retardant textile though? Surely that's going to be difficult? Well, one of the most important factors when investing in fire retardant upholstery is understanding the manufacturer cleaning recommendations: we’re going to tell you ours.
You've probably read that washing may destroy your fire retardant fabric's protection, but rest assured: with our fabrics this is not the case. All FR-One fabrics are machine washable and the effectiveness of the fabric won't fade due to washing.
In the case of cotton/nylon blends for example, washing the fabric with chlorine bleach will remove their flame-resistant properties - that's another reason we went for 100% polyester.
Fun fact: FR-One fabrics use less water to wash, thanks to their lower water absorption rate and higher dehydration characteristics. Save energy and the planet, one fabric wash-load at a time!
Choosing the right fire retardant upholstery is a delicate balance between safety and design.
Without a solid fire retardant qualification, you may not meet safety standards, but a poorly-designed fabric might ask you to sacrifice design. Why choose between form and function when you can have both? See how our Lithology range epitomizes this vision
FR-One fabrics are high quality, design-forward and both natural looking and feeling. On top of all this, we meet fire safety standards the world over, ensuring that our fabrics are used globally, from Paris to New York, Dubai to Berlin.
FR-One fabrics are found even at sea because we pass IMO FTPC P7 and IMO FTPC P8, certifying us for Maritime use (PS: these are the hardest tests to pass).
If you need help choosing fire retardant textiles for your next design project, get in touch and we'll be happy to help you out!
For more information, please visit Flame Retardant Knit Fabric.
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