{{short description|Materials designed with burn slowly or withstand high temperatures}} {{More citations needed|date=June 2020}} '''Fire-retardant materials''' are designed to burn slowly and less flammable. A Fire-retardants work by interfering with chemical reactions that cause reduce combustion, such as by absorbing heat, diluting oxygen, or creating a protective layer.

Fire-retardant materials should not be confused with ''fire-resistant'' materials. A fire resistant material is one which is designed to resist burning and withstand heat. An example of a fire-resistant material is one which is used in bunker gear worn by firefighters to protect them from the flames of a burning building.

In the United Kingdom, after two significant construction fires which resulted in a combined loss of £1,500 million, ''The Joint Code of Practice'' was introduced by the Fire Protection Association (FPA), the UK's national fire safety organisation,<ref>{{cite web |title=The Joint Code of Practice |url=http://www.thefpa.co.uk/ |website=FPA |publisher=Fire Protection Association|accessdate=28 November 2014}}</ref> to prevent fires on buildings undergoing construction work. The Joint Code of Practice provides advice on how to prevent fires such as through the use of flame-retardant temporary protection materials: for example, some high quality floor protectors are designed to burn slowly and prevent the spread of fires.

==Fire-retardant materials used in buildings== *Iron *Mineral wool *Gypsum boards *Asbestos cement *Perlite boards *Calcium silicate *Sodium silicate *Potassium silicate *Treated lumber plywood *Treated vegetable fiber (e.g., cotton, jute, kenaf, hemp, flax, etc..) *Fire-retardant treated wood *Brick *Concrete *Cement render *Intumescent paint *Glass *Magnesium oxide (MgO) *Geobond asbestos substitute

==Fire textiles== *PBI *Aramid - para and meta *Flame retardant cotton *Coated nylon *Carbon foam (CFOAM) *Melamine *Modacrylic *Noflan

==Phasing-out== Many common brominated flame retardants are being phased-out by manufacturers.<ref>Moran, N., [https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/phasing-out-fire-retardants/6410.article Phasing out fire retardants], Royal Society of Chemistry, published 25 July 2013, accessed 13 August 2020</ref> Asbestos is another fireproofing material that has been largely phased out, due to its health risks, including asbestosis and mesothelioma.

== See also == *Fireproof *Non-flammable

==References== {{reflist}}

== External links == * [http://www.cefic-efra.com/ European Flame Retardants Association] EFRA brings together and represents the leading organisations which manufacture, market or use flame retardants in Europe.

{{Fire fighting}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fire-retardant materials}} Category:Engineering-related lists * * Category:Flame retardants Category:Materials science Category:Textile arts-related lists