Fire-retardant fabric

Fire-retardant fabrics refer to the type of textiles that are designed to resist ignition and also slow the spread of fire, this can be taken advantage of when designing fabrics as it improves the safety factor in a multitude of applications. These fabrics can either be inherently fire-retardant or chemically treated which add to the resistance that materials can provide against heat and flame damage.

They are used in a wide variety of areas that require the attributes of being retardant to flames like protective clothing, curtains, household upholstery, and other industrial environments. To make sure that these fabrics maintain a quality of effectiveness, they must meet a very strict set of safety standards such as NFPA 701 (North America) and EN 13501 (Europe). This can be achieved through selective materials and specialized treatments that can reduce flammability greatly and delay combustion.