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ULTEM and PA-FR even meet the strict UL fire protection standard UL94V0
The high requirements that 3D-printed components have to meet in some areas include fire resistance certified according to scientific standards. The UL94 standard has established itself among experts as the measure of all things when it comes to the certification of flame-retardant materials.
UL has been testing products and materials since 1894
In this context, UL stands for Underwriters Laboratories. This is an independent organization founded in 1894 whose task is to examine and certify products with regard to their safety. UL’s headquarters are in Northbrook, Illinois (USA), while UL International Germany GmbH, based in Neu-Isenburg (near Frankfurt am Main), also serves as the headquarters for Europe and Latin America.
Under the exact title “Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Applications”, the UL94 standard deals with this Fire protection for plastic components. This was adopted with the same content in the German Industrial Standards (DIN) IEC/DIN EN 60695-11-10 and -20.
The test procedure on which the UL94 standard is based is based on immersing the plastic body to be tested in a Bunsen burner flame for a precisely defined period of time, which in the case of the V standards has an output of 50 watts, which corresponds to a 20 mm high flame.
2 times 10 seconds immersion in a flame from the Bunsen burner
Specifically, the test for the UL94V0 standard, which is relevant for our 3D materials ULTEM and PA-FR, consists of immersing the test object twice in a 50-watt Bunsen burner flame, which self-extinguishes after 10 seconds and is allowed to glow for a maximum of 30 seconds each time. In contrast to the HB (=horizontal burn) test method, the test specimen in the V0 test positioned vertically and inflamed at the bottom. This test procedure (including 94V1 and 94V2) is therefore considered to be even more stringent than the HB procedure. Unlike the V2 test, flaming droplets are not permitted in the V0 (as well as in the V1) test.
So to recap: Our ULTEM and PA-FR 3D printing materials have been tested by UL labs to withstand a 50 watt, 20mm high, 10 second self-extinguishing Bunsen flame with 2 vertical dips Withstand without melting into flaming drops. ULTEM and PA-FR thus meet the highest requirements for use in areas at risk of fire.
ULTEM is a plastic similar to the well-known 3D material ABS (=acrylonitrile butadiene styrene), which (just like ABS) is used in the FDM process. In contrast, PA-FR, like all other PA (=polyamide) plastics, is printed using selective laser sintering (also known as SLS printing).
Overview list of additive materials of flame-retardant materials according to UL94:
Refractory materials are used in particular in aircraft construction and in the Automobile Manufacturing. After all, all fittings in motor vehicles and airplanes must be flame-retardant in order to increase the chances of the occupants surviving in the event of an accident.
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