What are Flame Retardant Fabrics? Where To Buy Them?

Flame retardant fabrics constitute a type of fabric that burns slowly and self-extinguishes. This kind of fabric is immune to getting burnt. It also helps reduce heat buildup and prevents the spread of fire. This makes flame retardant fabrics ideal for use in buildings.

According to studies, many fire accidents are connected to the burning of fabrics at the affected place. Consider cellulose, a substance commonly used in clothing to make them comfortable. Such substances are more inflammable and are thus dangerous. As a rule of thumb, the weight and type of fabric weave decide the inflammability of that fabric. Fabrics that are woven loosely burn faster, while fabrics that are heavy and tightly woven burn slowly.

Treatments to make a fabric flame-retardant

There is a great market demand for flame retardant fabrics. Let's explore some treatments to convert a material to a flame-retardant one:

1. Non-permanent treatment:

Non-permanent treatments are used for materials that are not exposed to water without being soaked. In this treatment, the fiber or fabric is mixed with the solution of salt in water and then the fabric is dried. This helps the end product to slow down the spread of fire.

After the fabric is dipped in a bath, the passage of two rollers applies very high pressure. Non-permanent treatment is a simple technique to implement, cheap and can be applied to many fibers. 

2. Permanent treatment:

Permanent treatment involves two methods for treatment of cellulose. The first treatment uses one of its own OH- groups, chemically binding a molecule to the cellulose. The second one is polymerization of the product with itself, which forms a network in and around the fiber, without creating any chemical bonding. In both treatments, the fabric used is a phosphorus derivative.

3. Textile treatments: 

Flame retardant materials are made from both natural textile fiber and synthetic fibers. The textile fibers are treated with a chemical that can reduce the combustibility of that fabric.

If there is a fire, the flame-retardant material reacts with the gases and converts them into char of carbon. This reaction reduces the flammability rate of the fabric. There are various flame-retardant materials that are used for treatment in textile industries. Some of them are Indura cotton, M5 fiber, etc.

Different types of flame retardant fabrics

Flame retardant fabrics come mainly in two types. They are either inherently flame retardant or chemically treated fabrics. The primary difference between the two types is the method by which the fabric becomes flame retardant. Let's have a look at the differences in detail:

Inherently Flame Retardant Fabrics

Inherently flame retardant fabrics are excellent for use in home, office, and school. They can be woven into things like curtains and drapes. These types of fabrics can also be used in tents, health care fabrics, drapes, tarps, awnings, banners, and signs.

Inherently flame retardant fabrics are made from fibers that provide flame-retardant properties. Therefore, cleaning does not have any adverse effect on their qualities or diminish their strength. There are two types of inherently flame retardant fabrics, namely, natural and synthetic.

Wool and silk are fabrics with natural flame-retardant features. Wool is generally known as the most flame retardant natural fiber. This is because it is quite hard to ignite and may put out smaller flames on its own. Likewise, silk is also difficult to ignite and burns slowly. There are also many synthetic fibers that have been created with in-built flame resistance. For example, certain acrylic, polyester, and nylon fabrics are constructed to be flame retardant. This results in them catching fire at much higher temperatures than natural fibers.

At higher temperatures, inherently flame retardant fabrics typically melt rather than burn. Thus, they can protect your family, friends, and colleagues from fire without introducing chemically treated materials into your home, school, or workplace.

Chemically treated flame retardant fabrics

These fabrics are coated with a fire-resistant chemical. Today, there are more than 175 different types of flame retardant chemicals according to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors. These types of chemicals are usually divided into the following categories: phosphorus-containing, nitrogen-containing, brominated, chlorinated, and inorganic flame retardants.

Whether you should buy a treated fabric or not depends on your usage. For example, as you wash it and use it, the chemical starts to wear down and the fabric gradually loses its flame resistant traits. Inherently flame retardant fabrics on the other hand don’t suffer from this issue. You must also consider the fact that subjecting a fabric to flame retardant treatment may void the manufacturer's warranty.

Application of flame retardant fabrics

Flame retardant fabrics are typically used in uniforms for commercial workers, firefighters, and also as tent and parachute fabric, etc. These fabrics can stand firm against high temperatures in areas prone to fire accidents.

A flame-retardant fabric protects the person wearing it from fire burns, electrical shocks, etc. It is largely used in indoor materials like blinds and in places like offices, houses, and schools. As such, flame retardant fabrics help save lives and also protect infrastructure by preventing fires from starting and spreading out.

Where Can You Buy it?

Flame retardant fabrics are easily available in most apparel stores. You can browse, online or offline, through a lot of varieties, colors, and design options in these fabrics.

With so many options in the market, it is hard to find a single place where you can get unrivaled quality and value for money for your fabrics. One such place is Fashinza. On our proprietary market platform, you can browse through and purchase flame retardant fabrics in a lot of options and at discounted rates.

Conclusion

Flame retardant fabrics are a safe option for places like schools, offices, and homes. A lot of professions also demand apparel made out of these types of fabrics. Finding the right manufacturer for your fire retardant project is very essential, especially when considering chemically treated fire retardant fabrics.

Fashinza offers customers a variety of products that are not only the best, but also very durable and affordable. Visit Fashinza to buy premium quality flame retardant fabrics at highly discounted prices.