The Difference Between Flame Resistant & Flame Retardant
Flame resistant and flame retardant are terms often applied to safety clothing and equipment. Although they can apply to structures, they are more often applied to fabrics. Requirements differ according to use. The overall purpose of flame resistant or retardant application is to keep fire from spreading. The terms are sometimes used interchangeably and have different meanings for different applications. In general, flame resistant materials are designed to not catch fire, and flame retardant materials keep the fire from spreading.
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Flame Retardant or Flame Resistant
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Flame retardant material slows fire burning across the surface of the material. A flame retardant substance is added to material or applied to a surface to reduce or delay combustion. A flame resistant material will resist structural failure for a specified temperature or time. Flame resistance delays heat penetration. The material can be naturally flame resistant or can have been treated with chemicals.
Fabrics
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Some manufacturers may use different techniques for flame resistant and retardant fabrics. For instance, the fabric can be woven and then the fire resistant coating applied, or each thread can be treated before weaving and another coating applied after for fire retardant. If a fabric meets Consumer Products Safety Commission guidelines without chemical treatment, it is considered flame resistant. The fabric inherently resists fire and will self-extinguish when the flame is taken away. A flame resistant fabric may still melt and the flame retardant coating may wear off after several washings, so care must be taken when choosing such fabrics.
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Standards
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Fabrics used for clothing for certain hazardous professions, such as electrical or chemical industry workers, may have to meet standards set by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The ability of the fabric to self-extinguish when an ignition source is removed determines its flame resistance.
Fireproof
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A fireproof material will not burn. The Federal Trade Commission requires a fiber or fabric to be 100 percent fireproof to be called fireproof. If it has been treated to prevent flames from spreading, it has to be labeled fire resistant, not fireproof.
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References
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