No plastic material is fully fireproof or can be made so. Instead, plastic materials can be
treated to be fire-resistant enough to fulfill the requirements of product safety
standards.
Fire resistance means that the material is self-extinguishing: if the plastic is set alight, it
will extinguish itself soon after the heat source is removed. Some plastic materials are
inherently self-extinguishing and do not need additives to meet this requirement. Other
plastics can use additives to meet the requirement of being self-extinguishing.
Uses of self-extinguishing plastic materials
The need for self-extinguishing plastic materials is largely the result of the development
of electronics, particularly consumer products. The use of self-extinguishing materials
became widespread due to the numerous fires started by appliances and home
entertainment devices, such as televisions. Vehicles are also laden with electronic
equipment, necessitating the use of self-extinguishing materials in their covers and
cases.
Read more about fire-resistant plastics, their safety standards and the classification of fire resistant plastics from Telko´ s article "Fire-resistant plastic materials and their properties". Download the article from the link below.
