Sapphire Flame Retardant has a testing history going back to the original 1973 National Building Research Institute (NBRI/CSIR) evaluation, through to current SANS 10177 – Part 9 testing by FIRELAB, an accredited South African fire testing facility.
Orange cotton (240 gsm) treated with Sapphire Flame Retardant was tested by FIRELAB (contract FTC 18/117) under a Bunsen burner flame applied at 45°, 100 mm below the specimen, for a continuous 10‑minute period.
| Time to ignition / flaming | 5 seconds |
|---|---|
| Sample burning after burner removal at 12 sec | Yes |
| Sample burning after burner removal at 24 sec | No — self‑extinguished |
| Length of heat damage | 250 mm |
| Heat contribution over 10‑minute period | 0.63 °C/min |
| Maximum chimney temperature above calibration | 6.3 °C |
| Flame spread | None observed |
Source: FIRELAB report FTC 18/117, 28 August 2018 — "Evaluation of the Basic Fire Properties of the fabric treated with Sapphire Flame Retardant," tested to the SANS 10177 – 9 protocol. During the test the specimen ignited only inside the burner's area of influence; no flaming or glowing was visible at the end of the 10‑minute period, and the specimen sustained heat damage only, with no flame spread.
The two standards most commonly referenced for curtains and drapes internationally — BS 5867‑2 (UK) and NFPA 701 (USA) — apply flame for seconds. Sapphire is tested under continuous exposure for a full 10 minutes.
| Test criteria | BS 5867‑2 (curtains — UK) | NFPA 701 (textiles — USA) | Sapphire — SANS 10177 Part 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flame exposure duration | 10 sec (Type A) / 15 sec (Type B — hotels & public buildings / Type C — healthcare) | 45 seconds | Continuous exposure for a full 10 minutes |
| Ignition during test | Fabric must not let flame reach the specimen edge or drop burning debris | Ignition permitted; assessed by % weight loss after exposure | Ignition & flame behaviour assessed across the entire 10‑minute exposure, not a single brief window |
| Self‑extinguishing requirement | Type C only: mean afterflame/afterglow ≤ 2.5 sec. Type B: no fixed numeric limit | Average residual flame ≤ 2 sec after burner removal | Assessed at 12 sec and again at 24 sec after burner removal — following 10 minutes of exposure |
| Durability / laundering built in | Type B: 12 wash cycles. Type C: 50 wash cycles | Not a standard requirement of the base method | NBRI (CSIR) testing: retardancy retained through up to 5 dry‑cleaning cycles; ordinary washing removes it |
| Heat contribution monitored | Not measured | Not measured | Monitored continuously via thermocouple over the full 10‑minute exposure |
Sources: BS 5867‑2:2008; NFPA 701; SANS 10177 Part 9:2006; FIRELAB test report FTC 18/117.
The National Building Research Institute of the CSIR tested treated and untreated textiles and a foamed plastic against three methods: a semi‑circular flame‑spread test, a vertical cabinet char test, and an ad hoc large‑fire exposure test using a paraffin and petrol bowl fire.
Untreated cotton and similar materials were found to burn freely, with treated material showing very marked improvement. Untreated synthetic materials showed a tendency to form burning droplets — a phenomenon not observed with treated materials, which instead melted away from the flame.
Materials treated with Sapphire Flame Retardant as directed by the supplier are considerably more resistant to flame spread than the same materials untreated. The treatment is reasonably resistant to dry‑cleaning but not to ordinary washing — the user should be made aware that treatment must be repeated after washing. Immersion treatment is preferred, though carefully and evenly applied spray treatment is also acceptable.
Part of South Africa's National Building Regulations, covering fire protection requirements for new and existing buildings — including the flammability behaviour of internal linings and furnishings such as curtains, drapes and soft furnishings.
Addresses health and safety requirements at events — relevant to stage and window curtains, polyester printed banners, draping and set dressing at exhibitions, weddings, and indoor/outdoor stages.
A treatment programme and FIRELAB test documentation are provided as part of your fire safety file, to support the case you make to your fire consultant, venue, event authority or insurer. As with any compliance matter, the specific documentation required should be confirmed with your fire consultant or the relevant approving authority for your building or event.
We're happy to share the complete FIRELAB and NBRI reports with your fire consultant, insurer or venue.
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