FRP Products Fire Retardant Standards

Some fiberglass pultruded profiles applications require the fire retardant property, and different fire retardant rates have different functions. Two types of North America and Europe fire retardant standards are listed below:

1. ASTM E 84 

It is standard test method for surface burning characteristics of of building materials. 

The flame spread index and smoke developed index values obtained by the ASTM E 84 test are used by code officials and regulatory agencies in the acceptance of interior finish materials for various applications. The most widely accepted classification system is described in the National Fire Protection Association publication NFPA 101 Life Safety Code 

1. 2006 International Building Code 

a. Section 803 Wall and Ceiling Finishes, Paragraph 803.1 General states, “Interior wall and ceiling finishes shall be classified in accordance with ASTM E- 84.Such interior finish materials shall be grouped in the following classes in accordance with their flame spread and smoke-developed indexes. 

i. Class A: Flame Spread 0-25; smoke-developed 0-450 ii. Class B: Flame Spread 26-75; smoke-developed 0-450 iii. Class C: Flame Spread 76-200; smoke-developed 0-450 

Class A,B, and C correspond to type I, II, and III respectively in other codes such as SBCCI, BOCA, ICBO. They do not preclude a material being otherwise classified by the authority of jurisdiction.

2. UL 94, the Standard for Safety of Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances testing is a plastics flammability standard released by Underwriters Laboratories of the USA.

The standard classifies plastics according to how they burn in various orientations and thicknesses. From lowest (least flame-retardant) to highest (most flame-retardant), the classifications are:

HB: slow burning on a horizontal specimen; burning rate < 76 mm/min for thickness < 3 mm and burning stops before 100 mm

V-2 burning stops within 30 seconds on a vertical specimen; drips of flaming particles are allowed.

V-1: burning stops within 30 seconds on a vertical specimen; drips of particles allowed as long as they are not inflamed.

V-0: burning stops within 10 seconds on a vertical specimen; drips of particles allowed as long as they are not inflamed.

5VB: burning stops within 60 seconds on a vertical specimen; no drips allowed; plaque specimens may develop a hole.

5VA: burning stops within 60 seconds on a vertical specimen; no drips allowed; plaque specimens may not develop a hole

Tests are generally conducted on a 5" x 1/2" (12.7 cm x 1.27 cm) specimen of the minimum approved thickness. For 5VA and 5VB ratings, tests are performed on both bar and plaque specimens, and the flame ignition source is approximately five times as severe as that used for testing the other materials.

There are other classifications that apply to low density foam materials (HF-1, HF-2, HBF) and thin films (VTM-0, VTM-1, VTM-2).

HF-1: burning stops within 2 seconds; afterglow less than 30s; no burning drips allowed.

HF-2: burning stops within 3 seconds; afterglow less than 30s; burning drips allowed.   From Widipedia

                                                                                                         Source: www.unicomposite.com

Types Of FRP Gratings

According to the forming process, fiberglass gratings can be divided into pultruded fiberglass gratings and molded fiberglass gratings.

Pultruded Gratings:

Pultruded FRP gratings are assembled by three parts:

Bearing profile: it is mainly composed of pultruded "I" or "T" profile.

The connection profile: its role is to connect the bearing section, and it is mainly used inpultrusion rod or a variety of special stick

The spacer profile: its role in the regulation of the gap and fixed fiberglass gratings, it is mainly used for pultrusion of bar

With pultruded profile "I" or "T" profile bearing rod, with pultruded rod or bar as various shaped bar with adhesive, according to a certain pitch of the bar and the bearing rod are connected together to form the FRP gratings.

Molded FRP gratings: laying glass fiber roving in large metal mold casting with thermosetting resin, and a cold curing molding, mold release can be obtained after the molding of FRP gratings. In the production of molded grating, we can seal the surface of gratings wtih upper plate structure to form gratings at lower height.

The FRP gratings color: color is compatible with the resins and resin paste to achieve, so the color is not on the surface, so as to keep the lasting color. Colorful FRP gratings can improve your production environment, change the invariable gloomy situation corrosive environment and make your factory modern.

                                                                                              Source: www.unicomposite.com