How Does Fire Retardant Silicone Work?

Date: 14/10/26

How Does Fire Retardant Silicone Work? 

Fire is one of the biggest threats to people and equipment across a wide range of industries, from aerospace and automotive to foundries and smelting. That’s why many operators choose to protect their assets with fire retardant silicone sleeving, such as Fire Sleeve from Sleeve It. 

But how does fire retardant silicone work, and how can Fire Sleeve help you to prevent the spread of fires at your factory, on planes and trains, or in heavy industrial settings?

In this article, we’ll look at the science behind thermal protection and how it can make your site safer.

The Chemistry: How Fire Retardant Silicone Works 

Fire needs a number of things in order to spread, including fuel to burn and oxygen. Fire retardant silicone works by starving the flames of these basic needs.

When fire retardant silicone is exposed to flame, it does not melt and run off like a plastic coating would do, nor does it catch fire itself. Instead, the outer layer chemically changes to form a solid, insulating layer of silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as char. This insulating ‘char’ layer protects the cables, hoses and pipework beneath by creating a sealed, solid layer that will not allow heat, flame or oxygen to get through.

Fire Sleeve from Sleeve It adds further protection from heat with a woven, E-glass sleeve  layer beneath the silicone rubber coating. 

Fire Retardant, Not Fire-Proof

Few materials can claim to be fully fire-proof. The role of fire retardant silicone is not to prevent fires altogether, but rather to slow them down significantly when they do occur. By slowing down, or retarding, a fire, Fire Sleeve:

• Prevents the rapid spread of fire allowing time to raise the alarm, fight the fire if it is safe to do so, or evacuate the premises

• Stops fire from advancing along wires or pipework connecting different parts of a machine, or different areas of a building

• Prevents fire from penetrating pipes and hoses and releasing the contents (which may be highly flammable)

• Prevents flames from exposing wiring and creating an electrical hazard than puts people at risk and could make the fire worse

• Maintains structural integrity as temperatures rise, further protecting flexible wires and pipes

Key Properties of Flame Retardant Silicone Rubber 

Fire Sleeve from Sleeve It delivers a number of tried and tested properties to protect from heat and flame, including:

• High Thermal Stability – withstanding continuous temperatures of up to 260°C, with molten splash resistance up to 1200°C

• Low Smoke and Toxicity (LSZH) – unlike plastic coatings, silicone rubber does not release toxic chemicals when exposed to flame and it produces very little smoke

• Uncompromised Flexibility – despite its toughness, Fire Sleeve remains flexible, even when exposed to flame, making it ideal for winding pipework, cables and moving engine parts

Tried and Tested to the Highest Standards

When you install Fire Sleeve fire retardant silicone sleeving, you are installing complete confidence and peace of mind, thanks to stringent, independent testing. Fire Sleeve has been certified to:

• MHSA certified

• EN 45545-2

• ISO 11925-2

• IEC 60695-11-10 – classified as HB and V0

• UL94 rating V0, V1, V2

Your Fire Protection, Your Way

Fire Sleeve fire retardant silicone is as convenient as it is protective, with a wide range available to help you find the perfect fit.

• Fire Sleeve is available in a choice of widths, from 4mm to 203mm

• Fire Sleeve is available in a range of colours, with custom colours by special order

• Fire Sleeve can be supplied as full 15m reels or cut to custom lengths

• Fire Sleeve is available as a full sleeve or as hook and loop for to make repairs and retrofitting quick and easy.

Protect your People, Plant and Profits with Fire Retardant Silicone 

Now you’ve learned how fire retardant silicone works, don’t wait to learn the hard way about why you need it. 

To find out more about how Fire Sleeve can help protect everything from your engineers to your equipment, talk to the expert team at Sleeve It today. Our products are delivering protection across industry, across the world, and they can do the same for you.

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