Fire-Retardant vs. Fire-Resistant

Military stripes offer the plastic shield of various fire retardants. Our specialty products like combat uniform shirt, fire retardant balaclava, fire retardant smoking jacket with 20z FR synthetic insulation, combat gloves are suitable flame resistant products for different industries and working environments.

The basic difference between fire retardant and fire resistant material is how the material melts when exposed to fire and at what point material self-extinguishes. 

People confuse fire retardant with fire resistant products. When facing fire safety it is always necessary to know fire standards and laws. 

Fire Retardant

Fire retardant means to control the power of fire and take the specific duration for self-extinguish. According to NFPA standards, material used in cities used in public places must be fire retardant and cities need to be examined for fire retardant.

Fire retardant clothes are designed to keep safe for a longer period and do not get self-extinguished when exposed to a flame.  

Fabrics to be certified as fire resistant must pass the National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 701 standards.

In general, fire retardant clothes have been chemically treated in order to make them self-extinguishable when exposed to an open flame and that special chemical treatment makes them fire retardant clothes and helps them to don't catch fire easily. But on the other hand fire resistant clothes are made from non-flammable fabric which helps them to prevent the spread of fire. Its burning rate is very slow and able to self extinguish without any chemical treatment.

Fire retardant material used in textiles

FR cotton

Coated nylon

Caron foam

Melamine