Flame retardant urethane products are incorporated in systems that would be prone to catching fire or require effective fire suppression due to risk of flammability. These urethanes have a higher ability to withstand direct contact with flames compared to other flame resistant materials, and they maintain their shape and composition even when exposed to intense heat.

Urethanes are preferred over other elastomers for their features including increased durability, improved strength, chemical resistance, and more. These strengths can be applied even in settings where a urethane part may be exposed to flames, thanks to our ability to formulate a flame retardant polyurethane. Whether you need a flame resistant pad, die-cut rings, tubes, or an entirely custom part, PSI Urethanes has the custom manufacturing capability to make it happen.

Polyurethane elastomers are known for their exceptional ability to withstand high temperatures over time and in dynamic conditions. This makes thermoset urethane the ideal choice for applications that require resistance to both flammability and heat. When it comes to testing the flammability of plastic materials used in devices and appliances, UL 94 is the internationally recognized standard. Among the available tests, the most stringent is the UL 94V-0: a standard which PSI Urethanes can help your business adhere to with the use of custom flame-retardant urethane formulations.

Under this standard, materials undergo a series of burning tests to evaluate their performance in flammable conditions. The Flammability UL 94 V method assesses the burning and afterglow times after repeated flame exposure and dripping of the test specimen onto a bed of flammable cotton in a vertical burning test.

In order to meet the stringent UL 94V-0 standard, samples must fulfill the following requirements:

1. The sustained burning after applying a controlled flame should not exceed 10 seconds.
2. The total duration of flaming combustion for all five samples must not exceed 50 seconds.
3. None of the samples should burn up to the mounting clamp, whether through flaming or glowing combustion.
4. There should be no dripping of flaming particles from the samples that could potentially ignite the surgical cotton underneath.
5. After removing the second controlled flame, the samples should not exhibit glowing combustion for more than 30 seconds.

These criteria ensure that the samples meet the highest safety standards, guaranteeing superior performance and reliability even when exposed to a flame.

To see this test in action, check out the following video where our VP Richard Manson demonstrates the procedure to conduct a UL 94V-0 test on a strip of polyurethane.

Flame retardant urethanes are most useful in applications where flammability and heat resistance are critical concerns to both safety and performance. Industries dealing with electrical components are typically required to use UL 94 rated materials in their factory production, as outlined by UL here. UL rated urethanes are used across a wide range of industries, including the following:

• Munitions Factory
• Robotics
• Process automation
• Chemical production
• Automotive
• Aerospace
• Military and defense
• Metal fabrication
• Oil and gas

Don’t see your industry listed? No problem- PSI Urethanes would love to hear from you if you’re looking to learn more about how flame retardant urethanes can improve the safety and efficiency of your operations. Contact us today to speak with one of our urethane experts about burn resistant urethanes in your industry.

As with industries, a broad selection of urethane parts are commonly formulated to be flame retardant. Flame retardant urethane parts are top choice to go into components used in high temperature applications. Some of these parts include, but are not limited to:

• Tubing
• Rings
• Gaskets
• Sheeting
• Bumpers
• Internal components for electronics, cars, and heavy machinery
• Padding for tabletops
• Custom molded parts

To start on development of your own self-extinguishing urethane part, contact us today. PSI Urethanes has decades of applied experience in custom urethane formulations and outstanding customer service. Our collaborative development process ensures that we formulate an elastomer that addresses your specific project criteria, including flame resistance. We guarantee the delivery of a high-quality product that is best suited to your needs.

PSI Urethanes has over 50 years of experience in creating custom urethane formulations. Our in-house team of urethane engineers is dedicated to bringing your solution to life quickly, accurately, and in the most cost-effective way possible. Our development facility is equipped with tooling for urethane shaping and even developing custom molds, which allows us to deliver your product in a fraction of the time of our competitors without raising costs by outsourcing custom mold development to a third party.

When you choose PSI Urethanes as your urethane parts provider, you’re supporting a family-owned business that has prioritized customer satisfaction since Day 1. Delivering high quality urethane products to address your unique pain points is at the heart of what we do. We take immense pride in making you a happy customer.

See for yourself how our unmatched experience in developing custom urethanes sets PSI apart from the rest. Contact us today to reduce downtime, cut maintenance costs, and increase your operation’s fire safety with custom flame retardant urethane parts.