Japanese Fire Protection Materials Made Of Paper-Thin Material

A fire sometimes seems to arise out of nowhere and can spread so quickly that the people present can hardly be rescued. This is one reason why good fire protection properties for materials used in public areas (aircraft, ships, railways, cars and public buildings such as hotels and theatres) are absolutely essential. Weserland offers halogen-free and low-smoking flame retardant compounds for these areas, which are specially adapted to the respective requirements and applications. In addition to requirements regarding flame protection, smoke gas density and toxicity – the ’classic‘ requirements, such as good cutting edge strengthening or pole and knob integration, as well as antistatic properties can also be met.

Our development teams are happy to look beyond their own horizons and have discovered new material Gulfeng from Toray (Tokyo), which combines very good fire protection properties with very good mechanical properties.

What makes Gulfeng interesting are its mechanical properties and the variety with which the fibres can be processed. Where classic materials tend to be thick and stiff, Gulfeng is thin, light and flexible. It can be woven into fabric, knitted or felted into soft mats. The material is paper-thin (0.06 mm at 60 g/sqm) and can therefore even be used in bedding. Corresponding tests were very successful and showed a good flame retardancy.

The flame-retardant effect of Gulfeng is based on the combination of two materials – polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) and oxidised polyacrylonitrite (Ox-PAN), a non-melting, temperature-resistant fibre made of thermally stabilised PAN.

Carbonization Under Exclusion Of Oxygen

When the material is exposed to a flame, all variants react in the same way: the fabric heats up and begins to melt at 285 °C. The material is then exposed to a flame. The liquid plastic then forms a thin skin around the oxidized fibres, which absorb the heat of the flame in the absence of oxygen and therefore do not burn. This leads to carbonization – the fibres are converted into resistant graphite. The molten material fills the gaps and also carbonizes, creating a closed carbon membrane that forms an excellent barrier against the flames.

Thanks to the good material properties of Gulfeng, a high level of comfort and very thin padding can be achieved. Many airlines fight for every millimetre, especially when it comes to aircraft seating.

Another interesting development is a base material for artificial leather. Together with a Japanese artificial leather manufacturer, a light and thin material was created – and since it uses Gulfeng as the base fabric, the flame retardant is already built in. Normal artificial leather requires an additional layer as a flame blocker between the outer material and the seat upholstery. This can be omitted with the special leather or be significantly thinner, which saves weight overall and facilitates manufacture.