Lecture was presented at Techtextil North America Symposium 2009

I – Flame Resistant (FR) fibers are used in the following industrial and protective applications:

1. Flame resistant transportation applications
2. Rail and Bus seat fire blockers
3. Airplane seat fire blockers and Aerospace parts
4. Flame resistant protective apparel- Fire service fire turnout gear, homeland security and law enforcement protective gear, welding and hot metal splashing protective clothing, hot gas or fire exposed industrial garments, military clothing and protective gear, high tension electrical protective clothing, molten metal splash, racing apparel and other high temperature protective devices, gear and clothing.
5. Bedding – Mattresses, foundations, and special beds used in residential, institutional, and special vehicles. (All beds that must qualify for the CPSC’s 16 CFR Part 1633 regulation)
6. Furniture – Various upholstered furniture  products to comply with California’s TB 117, TB 133 and the pending CPSC’s 16 CFR Part 1634 residential furniture standard for flame resistance
7. Top-of-bed products – All filled top-of-bed products will be subject to California TB 604 and the new CPSC standard issued ANPR when the regulation effective date is established.
8. Filtration –High temperature industrial process like asphalt manufacturing, cement processing, electrical utility coal fired steam generation plants, high temperature gas filtration, caustic or acetic liquid filtration, and  mineral mining that require air filtration cause.

These include:

       A. Bag house filters
       B. In-line gas filters
       C. In-line aqueous high temperature chemical resistant filter media

II – These FR fibers are processed into wovens, non-wovens, knits, and special yarns to produce tapes, cordage, and ropes that are rendered fire resistant. Please see the attachment 1 for a listing of the currently available FR fibers available and their properties, which can be used to render various barriers flame resistant. FR cotton and FR wood pulp are also used in many applications.

III – FR Barriers are produced by the following methods of manufacture:

1. Wovens – Plain weave, twills, drills, two layer constructions, and loop fabrics produced with blends of various FR and non-FR char-forming fibers are used to produce  garments or industrial FR barrier products that exhibit desired results.
2. Non-Wovens – Spun-bonded, stitch-bonded, carded web and air laid high-loft, chem-bonded and thermal bonded high-loft webs, hydro-entangled webs, needle-punched webs of all types, and webs made on paper making systems are all formed into non-wovens for FR  products.
3. Knitted products – Warp knits, weft knits, stitch bonded, and flat or V-bed knitting are used to produce various FR barriers for industrial, protective apparel, bedding, furniture, and top-of-bed products.

IV – Proper use of FR fibers is essential within each application and the method of manufacture used to ensure that the FR barrier produced meets the desired or required performance with regard to flame resistance or protection in order to hold up in actual use and meet required performance specifications. The following are examples of various FR fiber blends used in various products, by product type.
 

1. Wovens –
   
   A. Protective Apparel
       1. Aramid/ Melamine/ Nylon
       2. Melamine/ Wool/ Stainless Steel/ Antistatic fiber
       3. Melamine/ Modacrylic/ Aramid/ Nylon
       4. Melamine/ Cotton
       5. M-Aramid/ Melamine/ P-Aramid
       6. Melamine/ Cotton/ Nylon
       7. Preox/ P-Aramid/ Melamine/ Fiberglass
       8. P-Aramid/ Melamine/ FR Viscose
       9. Melamine/ P-Aramid
     10. Melamine/ FR Viscose
     11. Melamine/ FR Cellulose/ P-Aramid
   B. Bedding –
       1. Melamine/ Polyester/ Modacrylic/ Nylon/ Fiberglass
       2. FR Cotton
       3. FR Cellulose
       4. Melamine/ Polyester/ FR Cellulose/ Nylon/ Fiberglass
   C. Industrial –
       1. Melamine/ Preox/ P-Aramid/ Fiberglass
       2. P-Aramid/ Melamine/ Fiberglass
       3. P-Aramid/ Melamine/ FR Viscose
       4. Melamine/ Cotton/ Nylon
       5. Novaloid/ Melamine/ P-Aramid/ Fiberglass
       6. Melamine/ Modacrylic/ P-Aramid
       7. PBI/ P-Aramid
       8. M/ Aramid
       9. PBI
     10. Melamine
     11. PAI/ M-Aramid
     12. Many others in specific proprietary uses
   D. Transportation -
       1. FR Polyester/ Nylon
       2. M-Aramid/ Melamine/ PBI
       3. Modacrylic/ Fiberglass
       4. FR Cotton/ FR Cellulose/ Melamine/ M-Aramid
   E. Bedding-
       1. Melamine/ Modacrylic/ FR Viscose/ Viscose/ Polyester/ Fiberglass
       2. Melamine/ Modacrylic/ Polyester/ Nylon/ Fiberglass
       3. FR Viscose/ Low Melt Polyester
       4. FR Cotton/ Low melt Polyester
       5. FR Cotton
       6. FR Viscose
   F. Furniture-
       1. Coated fabric M- Aramid, Low Melt Polyester
       2. Nylon/ Melamine/ Polyester/ Modacrylic/ Fiberglass
       3. Modacrylic/ Fiberglass
       4. FR Viscose/ Melamine/ Low Melt Polyester
       5. FR Viscose/ Low Melt Polyester
   G. Top-of-Bed-
       1. Viscose/ FR Viscose/ melamine
       2. Melamine/ Modacrylic/ Viscose/ Polyester
       3. Melamine/ modacrylic/ Polyester
       4. Other blends similar to those in bedding and apparel

  2- Non-Wovens

           A. Protective Apparel-
               1. Melamine/ P-Aramid/ M-Aramid
               2. Melamine/ P-Aramid/ Nylon
               3. Melamine/ FR Rayon
               4. Melamine/ M-Aramid
           B. Bedding-
               1. Modacrylic/ FR Rayon/ Tencel/ Low Melt Polyester
               2. Modacrylic/ Tencel M/ Low melt Polyester
               3. FR Rayon/Modacrylic/melamine/Viscose Rayon/Low melt polyester
               4. FR Cotton/ Low melt Polyester
               5. FR Cotton
               6. FR Viscose
           C. Industrial-
               1. Melamine/ M-Aramid
               2. PTFE/ M-Aramid/ P-Aramid
               3. Polyester/ melamine
               4. Polyester Filament/ Polyester Staple/ melamine
               5. Many other blends for specific proprietary products              D.Transportation-
               1. M-Aramid/ Melamine
               2. M-Aramid/ Modacrylic/ melamine
               3. PBI/ M-Aramid
           E. Furniture-
               1. Low melt Polyester
               2. Melamine/ Low Melt Polyester
               3. Modacrylic/ Melamine/ Low Melt Polyester
               4. Other blends are being developed for the upcoming residential
                   FR regulation
           F. Top-of-Bed
               1. Blends for top-of-bed products will be similar to those in bedding
                   and others are under development for the upcoming CPSC
                   regulation of these products.
               2. The development of these products will be intense for the next
                   one to three year period.

   3- Knits-

           A. Protective Apparel-
               1. Cotton/ Melamine/ nylon
               2. P-Aramid/ FR Viscose
               3. M-Aramid/ melamine
               4. Modacrylic/ Polyester
               5. Modacrylic/ Melamine/ Polyester
               6. FR Cellulose/ Melamine/ Modacrylic/ Nylon
           B. Bedding-
               1. Modacrylic/ melamine/ Polyester/ Nylon/ Fiberglass
               2. Melamine/ FR Rayon/ Modacrylic/ Viscose Rayon
               3. FR Viscose/ Melamine/Modacrylic
               4. FR Rayon/ Polyester
               5. P-Aramid/ Melamine/ FR viscose
               6. FR Cotton
               7. FR Rayon/ Modacrylic/ Polyester/ Nylon/ Fiberglass
           C. Industrial- (Gloves, Helmet/Hood Liners)
               1. Melamine/ Cotton
               2. Melamine/ Cotton/ Nylon
               3. Melamine/ M-Aramid
           D. Transportation-
               1. FR Polyester
               2. Melamine/ M-Aramid/ P-Aramid
           E. Furniture-
               Most current furniture barriers are the same as bedding. Others are
               being developed for the new residential furniture CPSC standard.
           F. Top-of-Bed-
               1. Modacrylic/ Melamine/ Polyester
               2. Melamine/ Modacrylic/ Rayon
               3. FR Rayon/ Polyester
               4. Tencel/ Modacrylic/ Melamine/ FR viscose

V- All these blends must be taken into consideration along with all the methods of constructing an FR barrier in order to produce the best barrier solution with the most competitive product cost for the targeted market or regulation being achieved.

In summary the FR barrier products encompass a very substantial body of many technologies from fiber selection, construction methodology, user requirements of an application, regulation and testing requirements of each product and finally the assembly of each product required and the necessary parameters in the final construction.  Various fiber and fabrication companies are represented at this symposium and are available to assist with any needs you may have regarding FR Barrier Products.

Tables and data in this presentation paper developed in co-operation with Alan Handermann of Basofil Fibers, Inc. - Enka, North Carolina

Contact information:  Nathan M. Dry, President, Basofil Solutions, LLC, Phone: 336-402-2881, Fax: 919-329-7717, Email: nathan.dry@basofil.com