Flame-retardancy is a common requirement for materials used to make products that need to meet certain safety standards, such as home appliances, automotive systems, and electronics. A flame retardant is a chemical substance that is added to materials during their manufacturing process in order to both reduce the likelihood of the finished product catching fire and to slow down combustion. By specifying materials which are resistant to fire, manufacturers can significantly reduce or delay the risks to people in the case of accidents. For industries where public safety is of the highest importance such as Rail, Automotive and Aerospace, the Underwriters Laboratories rating UL 94 is seen as an essential safety standard. The standard determines the material’s tendency to either extinguish or spread the flame once the specimen has been ignited. This rating provides reassurance of flame-retardancy in plastics, polymers, and silicone rubbers.
UL 94 V-0, specifically, tests that burning stops within 10 seconds on a vertical specimen; drips of particles are allowed as long as they are not inflamed. A number of adhesive materials we offer meet the criteria of UL 94 V-0, including a selection of silicones which are popular for appliance, automotive and electronics applications. Our selection of UL 94 V-0 adhesives offer non-corrosive curing characteristics and can be used in FIP and CIP gaskets for electronics and components which need to comply with UL 94.
Elastosil N9111 is available in both white and black variants and is characterised by a high level of elongation – up to 500%. Its viscosity of 800,000 mPas lends itself to electronics applications such as component staking, ruggedising or wire tacking. Flowable and self-levelling in nature, Elastosil N2034 is well suited to applications involving gasketing such as automotive headlights. Elastosil N2189 is a hard yet flexible silicone which presents good resistance to both mineral oils and coolants, offering automotive manufacturers a durable silicone suitable for gasketing oil pans.
If flame-retardancy is a consideration for your application, our product specialists would be pleased to help you find a suitable silicone or other material.
