Dartex Coatings

MelaphosFR Technology : High Performance + Halogen Free

Fire retardants are a form of passive fire protection and they are extensively used where there is a legal requirement to provide a fire safe environment for the public. Buildings, outdoor spaces and transportation used by the public are major areas where fire retardant products are utilised. Flame retardants are found in products such as hospital mattress covers, upholstered products, seating, curtains and wall coverings. As well as protecting the furniture and fittings in public buildings and transport, the structures themselves also need protection, making fire retardants a key part of architectural and interior design.

BURNING BASICS

A fire requires fuel, heat, oxygen and a sustainable chain reaction.

Flame retardants act in different stages of a fire and use the different mechanisms listed in the chart to interrupt the cycle and distinguish the flame.

MelaphosFR engages all mechanisms in order to extinguish a fire quickly and safely. The area of burn is minimized and an intumescent layer is formed. Heat transfer, or drips, are also eliminated.

• MelaphosFR products quickly develop char, which creates a barrier between the fire and the fuel source
• The products intumesce, thickening the char barrier, pushing the flame front even further from the fuel
• The active ingredients are not flammable so their presence reduces the amount of fuel to be burned
• Inert gasses are released, which dilutes and displaces the oxygen needed to maintain the fire
• The active ingredients decompose endothermically, taking heat out of the fire and slowing it down
• Some MelaphosFR products reflect heat away from the product surface
• In the vapour phase, the active ingredients trap the radicals, stopping the chain reaction
• Additionally, special additives help the polymers resist shrinkage and dripping, ensuring that the products remain in place, to give continued protection