Durability of typical fire retardants in the textile industry is a major problem. Typical fire retardants are a powder and water solution that, when dry, leave microscopic bits of different fire retardant solutions embedded or lightly adhering to the fibers. These fire retardants are removed by simple wear and tear, such a brushing, vacuuming, “wet” dry cleaning and any washing or launderings.

To help alleviate the problems associated with durability, Northeast Fireshield, Inc.’s patented Inspecta-Shield Plus™ which uses silicates in its formula to help bond our fire retardant to fibers and their cell structures.

Sodium silicate glass is made by fusing high purity silica sand and soda ash in open hearth furnaces at 1300oC. The molten glass is cooled, fractured and charged into vessels where it is dissolved under pressure by hot water and steam. The various grades of liquid sodium silicate are produced by varying the alkali & silica ration and the solids content. Thin films of liquid silicate readily lose moisture to the atmosphere and to absorbent surfaces forming rigid, glass-like bonds with almost all water-wettable surfaces. This property is the basis for their extensive use in adhesive, briquetting and agglomeration application.

The bonding characteristics of silicate has led to its extensive use in diverse adhesive applications including the production of paper tubes and fiber drums. It is also used for briquetting, pelletizing and agglomeration of powered metal. coal, clays and other powers.

After application of Inspecta-Shield Plus™ to fabrics, foams, or building materials, two (2) chemical reactions take place. First, the item treated will dry to a 15% moisture content or less allowing the fire retardant to become effective.Secondly, the silicates (liquid glass) will cure, becoming in most cases, insoluble, forming rigid glass-like bonds that dramatically increase the durability of Inspecta-Shield Plus™.

Typically, treated items become fire resistant before the silicas cure. The silicas do not affect the fire resistance of treated items. Silicas can take up to thirty (30) days (air drying) to become completely cured. Inspecta-Shield Plus™ treated items reach maximum durability at the point the silicas are completely cured.

sil-i-ca (silika) n. silicon dioxide, S1O2 one of the commonest minerals, occurring as quartz, agate, jasper flint etc., and abundant in sandstone and other rocks. In the form of quartz sand, it is a main constituent of glass sil-i-cate (silikit) n. a metal salt of a very large class, usually insoluble, containing silicon and oxygen in the union. They constitute with silica the largest portion of the earth’s crust and are the principal constituent of cement, glass, bricks and other building materials – a salt of ester of a silicic acid [Mod L fr silex (silicis), flint]