Fire Retardant Fabrics
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Fire retardant fabrics are textiles that are naturally more resistant to fire than others through chemical threatment or manufactured fireproof fibers.
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[edit] Fire retardant fabrics and stage drapery
Fabric flammability is an important textile issue, especially for stage drapery that will be used in a public space such as a school, theatre or special event venue. Federal regulations require that drapery fabrics used in such spaces be certified as flame or fire retardant. For draperies and other fabrics used in public places, this is known as the NFPA 701 Test, which follows standards developed by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Although all fabrics will burn, some are naturally more resistant to fire than others. Those that are more flammable can have their fire resistance drastically improved by treatment with fire retardant chemicals.
[edit] Fabric choices and fire retardance
Stage curtain fabric choices are numerous, depending on the required style of curtain.
[edit] Synthetic fibers
Certain synthetic fibers are extremely flame resistant, including glass fibers and modacrylic. Other synthetics, including certain polyesters, are slow to ignite and may even self-extinguish. However, once synthetic fabrics ignite, they will melt rather than flame. The resulting substance can lead to severe burns if it comes into contact with the skin.
[edit] Natural fibers
Natural fibers typically do not melt. Wool and silk burn slowly, are difficult to ignite, and may self-extinguish. With other untreated natural fabrics, such as cotton and linen, the fabric can ignite quickly, resulting in a fast moving flame spread. Fabrics that include a combination of natural and synthetic fibers, such as polyester-cotton blends, can be particularly troublesome, as they combine the fast ignition and flame spread of the natural fiber with the melting aspect of the synthetic fiber.
The ignition and burn factors of fabric are also affected by the weight and weave of the fabric. Lightweight, loose weave fabrics will burn more quickly than heavier fabrics with a tight weave. In addition, fabric flammability can also be affected by the fabric’s surface texture with napped fabrics (such as velvets and velours) igniting more easily than fabrics with a smooth surface.
[edit] Fire retardancy fabric treatment
The flammability of fabric can be drastically reduced through the use of fire retardants. Many natural fibers, including cotton, can be topically treated with a chemical that reduces the fabric’s flammability to the extent that it becomes nearly non-combustible. During a fire, the chemical reacts with the gases and tars generated naturally by the fabric, converting the gases and tars to carbon char, thus drastically slowing the fabric’s burning rate.
Some polyester fabrics are considered permanently fire retardant. This is because fire retardant properties are built directly into the molecular structure of the fibers. Fabrics manufactured utilizing Trevira™ and Avora™ polyester fibers are considered inherently or permanently fire retardant. Other synthetic fabrics may be considered durably fire retardant, fire retardant, or non-fire retardant. Durably fire retardant refers to a process in which polyesters are chemically treated during the manufacturing process with a non-water soluble chemical. In other cases, synthetic fabrics may be topically treated with chemicals after the manufacturing process (in the same manner as natural fibers such as cotton), or may be untreated (or untreatable) and therefore considered non-fire retardant.
[edit] Durability and cleaning of fabric and drapes
When a fabric is designated as inherently fire retardant, permanently fire retardant, or durably fire retardant, the flame retardancy will last for the life of the fabric. The drapery can be laundered or dry-cleaned as recommended by the drapery manufacturer. In the case of fabrics that are designated as fire retardant, that have been topically treated with chemicals, the flame retardancy of the fabric will dissipate over time, particularly with repeated cleaning. These fabrics must be dry-cleaned with a non-liquid cleaning agent.
Typically, the flame retardancy of topically treated fabric is certified for one year, though the actual length of time in which the treatment remains effective will vary based on the number of times the drapery is dry-cleaned and the environmental conditions in the location in which the drapery is used. It is recommended that topically treated drapery be re-tested for fire retardancy on an annual basis and re-treated by a qualified professional as needed.
