Fire safety is always a major concern facing a wide range of industries. However, considering the way modern technology has made it easier for companies to produce, it is even clearer that fire retardants have never been more necessary.
In construction, transport, and electronics, fire retardants are staples in the process of making sure that materials and products are safe to use while still withstanding the dangerous effects of fire. However, what makes fire retardants such a critical component of today’s industries, and how do they help?
Here, we’ll explain the importance of these life-saving chemicals and their role in ensuring safety throughout the industrial process.
Fire Retardants: A Key Player in Fire Safety
Typically, fire retardants are chemicals that are mixed into certain products to either slow or completely stop fire. These chemicals interrupt the combustion process by producing either a protective layer on a material or by releasing gases that will put out a flame. Their reliability has made them an essential part of numerous industries where they are needed most.
Within the construction industry, companies coat materials such as wood, drywall, and insulation with fire retardant. This effectively reduces the risk of large fires. This type of plan can also be found within the transport industry, as fire retardant is used in the production of aircraft parts and vehicle interiors.
Companies like ICL Industrial Products have become leaders in the realm of fire retardants and have gone on to create helpful fire retardant solutions that are versatile enough for any industry while keeping materials safe in the process.
How Fire Retardants Work
The science behind fire retardants is an interesting one. These life-saving chemicals do one of two things: they either stop combustion in its place or slow it down long enough for people to get to safety. The process of a fire retardant is delivered in one of three ways:
- Producing a Layer: Some fire retardants create a coating on the surface of a material that makes it difficult for certain oxygen to reach the fuel of the fire. This coating can be thought of as a shield blocking the spread of the fire.
- Interacting with Fire: Other fire retardants produce gases that upset the process of combustion by interfering with the chemical reactions that are taking place. Preventing the flame from moving further down the line, fire retardants can ultimately put a stop to the fire.
- Cooling the Material: Certain fire retardants are formulated to absorb heat and, thus, take away any power from the material, possibly even preventing the ignition process altogether.
All of these processes combined ultimately provide a sure defense against the spread of fire, thus making the chemical an absolute necessity for a number of industries.
Industries That Rely on Fire Retardants
Fire retardants are present in many industries. Let’s have a look at a few industries and how they promote safety in most flammable areas.
Construction
The construction field is one industry that doesn’t compromise safety. There are certain laws and safety codes for buildings to protect humans and buildings as well. Fire retardants are utilized in construction materials like wood, steel, and insulation to slow or stop the spreading of fire. This gives enough time for people to evacuate safely.
Without these materials, it would be very easy for the flames to spread and cause much more damage, which would be more threatening to human lives as well. This means that construction retardants play an important role in saving humans. They are made mandatory by regulating bodies of different nations.
Electronics
Most of us don’t know that devices that we use on a regular basis can also turn into flammable items like phones, laptops, or any electronic device. Fire retardants are added to plastics, insulation embedding wires, and circuit boards. In electronics, it is used to stop the burning of components supplied in them. In the wiring system, flame retardants are added to these cables so they don’t catch fire.
For instance, in quite a number of countries like the US, televisions, fridges, and even power cables are made with fire retardant and flame products are used to reduce the risk of electrical-related fires spreading in homes. For the electronic sector, the use of fire retardants has saved a lot of lives. The effective utilization of these flame retardants helps reduce the flammable items all around.
Transportation
Fire safety is a serious concern in the transportation industry, particularly for vehicles such as planes, buses, and trains. To avert fires and fire-related deaths during crashes, retardants are used on fabrics (drapes, seat cushions), interiors, and electrics. These materials retard the fire and save people.
In aviation, because high combustion fuels fire hazards more, fire retardants are extensively used in the construction of planes and helicopters so as to furnish passengers and crew alike with some time to deal with an emergency and hopefully reach an exit.
The Benefits of Using Fire Retardants
Fire retardants are more than fire preventions, and their untold advantages make them inseparable flame retardant agents. Here are a few:
- Safety: These agents guard human lives and assets by slowing the process of flame.
- Safety laws: In a few sectors, the use of fire retardants is properly governed by the laws, and a few mandates have to be followed, including all construction and transportation industry laws.
- The economy: It is true that averting anything is better than paying for the losses, and fire retardants help save a lot of money later by cutting down the annual revenue loss caused by fire breakouts.
- Protection: The retardant chemical helps protect the material from catching the flames, helping in preventing flammable items.
Investing in Fire Retardants
Fire retardants, modern industry’s saving grace. These chemicals are found in virtually every facet of our lives, including items we use at home, at work, in the cars we drive, and more. The evolving presence of fire retardants will not only see their formulations grow more sophisticated, but mother nature and human protective offerings will also have a symbiotic relationship — offering safer, more sustainable options for people seeking peace of mind.
Making this world a safer place is something that every manufacturer, business owner, or individual can champion, but how? Well once again, with advances through companies such as ICL Industrial Products — fire retardants will not only continue to dominate the fire prevention market but provide you and your safety by land, sea, and air.
In a world fraught with fire danger, fire retardants are definitely man’s quiet guardian.
