Fabric is among the materials most susceptible to fire. With appropriate fire retardant treatment, these textiles could have their chance of catching fire greatly minimized.
If you want to learn more, please visit our website fr treated fabric.
There are a number of items in households or offices that could be classified within the highly combustible category; they are carpets, upholstery, garments, bed sheets, and the most ubiquitous fire starter is undoubtedly the curtain, which often accompanies every home. The idea of applying fire resistant treatments to these items then is to make them become less inflammable, prevent fire from spreading easily, and ultimately save lives.
In general, almost all fabrics can be treated to become fire retardant. However take notice that some textile material like those made of 100% nylon, acetate or acrylic cannot be treated. And there have been observations that textiles that are Teflon coated may not respond optimally to this treatment. This is the reason why professional applicators of flame retardant coatings sometimes request for test samples, before any comprehensive treatment is applied.
So what goes into a fire resistant product? In a sense, chemicals; or chemicals that are effective to curtail the spreading of fire. One such product is called polymeric coupling agent, or simply a coupling agent. This is a polymer itself but it functions to fill in organic fillers to the polymer found in synthetic fabrics. These compounds can be Talc, Glass Fibers, Calcium Carbonate, or a flame retardant like ATH (Aluminum Trihydrate) or what is also known as Mg(OH)2 (magnesium hydroxide).
These fillers serve multi-pronged purposes; sometimes to bring down the production cost (as in the case of Calcium Carbonate, Talc), to add strength to the fabric (glass fibers, Calcium Carbonate) and finally to make it fire resistant (ATH, Mg(OH)2), so it won’t burn or spread as easily when comes into contact with a fire.
Generally commercial organizations and public institutions make up the largest pool of users who seek out such fire retardant applications. Thanks to better public awareness, there is now a growing trend among households in wanting to bring this protection to their houses and apartments. After all, there are a lot of household items that are fire hazardous, as mentioned earlier.
For fabric treatment, most applicators would recommend water-soluble agents. Nowadays, applicators are able to carry out the coating off-site or on-site, providing further convenience.
There is also no concern about such application leaving ugly residues or affecting the texture of the fabric. It is a tested and proven practice on a great variety of materials. If there are doubts about the materials/chemicals that go into your fabric, a quick and simple test can be easily administered by the applicator with a test sample.
You will find that your little investment in fire retardant treatment is worthwhile; not only does it act as some sort of insurance to your home, it can potentially save lives, those of your love ones and yourself.
The main difference between Treated Arc FR and Inherent Arc FR Fabrics is the process that is used at the final stage in order to make the product flame resistant.
Are you interested in learning more about heat retardant material? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
But which type of fabric should you opt for given your working environment?
When it comes to choosing protective clothing to work in an electrical environment, it’s important that you consider the fabric that you are choosing as this can have an impact on how effective they are at keeping you safe.
Inherent and treated are two terms that are most frequently used to distinguish between fire resistant fabrics.
What are Treated Fabrics?
Treated FR fabrics undergo a process during manufacturing that adds flame resistance onto the fabric fibres. Cotton fabric is treated by being given a flame resistant chemical application after it is woven together.
This treatment will chemically change the fabric and give it a flame resistant finish for a limited number of washes.
What are Inherent Fabrics?
Unlike treated fabrics, inherent fabrics do not have to undergo any type of process in order to make them flame resistant and are instead composed of fibres that are already innately flame resistant.
These properties cannot be diminished through use or laundering, meaning that the product will remain effective and wearable for as long as the user requires it.
Which fabric is more effective?
Both of these fabrics offer protection against the dangers of working as an electrical engineer, but inherent fabrics will score higher in terms of the longevity of garments, which is ultimately what matters the most when you are choosing work apparel.
This gives peace of mind knowing that once the has been issued to the wearer that regardless of how many washes or how old the clothing is, it still gives the same level of protection as the first day it was worn.
This will reduce the need to replace items and will ensure that workers always remain safe. You should always be sure to following laundering instructions and avoid using bleach, fabric softener or starch to clean your protective garments, as this can mask the fire-resistant properties of the clothing. Learn more about caring for and washing your arc flash clothing here.
Work on live electricity? Take a look now at our Inherent Arc Flash Clothing here.
For more information, please visit Fabric Fr.