List of fire-retardant materials
Fire-retardant materials are designed to burn slowly and less flammable. A Fire-retardants work by interfering with chemical reactions that cause reduce combustion, such as by absorbing heat, diluting oxygen, or creating a protective layer.
Fire-retardant materials should not be confused with fire-resistant materials. A fire resistant material is one which is designed to resist burning and withstand heat. An example of a fire-resistant material is one which is used in bunker gear worn by firefighters to protect them from the flames of a burning building.
In the United Kingdom, after two significant construction fires which resulted in a combined loss of £1,500 million, The Joint Code of Practice was introduced by the Fire Protection Association (FPA), the UK's national fire safety organisation,[1] to prevent fires on buildings undergoing construction work. The Joint Code of Practice provides advice on how to prevent fires such as through the use of flame-retardant temporary protection materials: for example, some high quality floor protectors are designed to burn slowly and prevent the spread of fires.
Fire-retardant materials used in buildings
- Iron
- Mineral wool
- Gypsum boards
- Asbestos cement
- Perlite boards
- Calcium silicate
- Sodium silicate
- Potassium silicate
- Treated lumber plywood
- Treated vegetable fiber (e.g., cotton, jute, kenaf, hemp, flax, etc..)
- Fire-retardant treated wood
- Brick
- Concrete
- Cement render
- Intumescent paint
- Glass
- Magnesium oxide (MgO)
- Geobond asbestos substitute
Fire textiles
- PBI
- Aramid - para and meta
- Flame retardant cotton
- Coated nylon
- Carbon foam (CFOAM)
- Melamine
- Modacrylic
Phasing-out
Many common brominated flame retardants are being phased-out by manufacturers.[2] Asbestos is another fireproofing material that has been largely phased out, due to its health risks, including asbestosis and mesothelioma.
See also
References
- ^ "The Joint Code of Practice". FPA. Fire Protection Association. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
- ^ Moran, N., Phasing out fire retardants, Royal Society of Chemistry, published 25 July 2013, accessed 13 August 2020
External links
- European Flame Retardants Association EFRA brings together and represents the leading organisations which manufacture, market or use flame retardants in Europe.
