A2 Fire retardant the next big thing

The ACP sheets or the aluminum composite panels are the very popular cladding material that is used in building exteriors. Having superb qualities and features not found in other materials give them the upper hand and they are increasingly being used for the building façade.

Fire is an ever-present threat for buildings. It needs to be controlled by using such material both inside and outside the building that does not allow the fire to spread. The increasing use of aluminum composite panels is beneficial in the sense that they are fire retardant

The New A2 Panel

Eurobond, the leading ACP sheet manufacturer in India along with other companies has come up with the A2 FR core panel sheet. These A2 fire retardant sheets are non-toxic, non-combustible and eco-friendly. The core material used in these panels is highly fire rated as per the global standards and has been tested so. They have passed the EN 13501 test and also the ASTM E 119, fulfilling both, the European and American standards for Fire Safety.

The core material of these panels, when subjected to fire, does not release hazardous or toxic fumes as in the case of other materials. For this reason, the A2 fire retardant is being touted as the next big thing in building exteriors. It is highly recommended for all places susceptible to fire such as railway stations, especially those that are underground, public buildings, tunnel walls, sporting arenas, pharmaceutical labs, hospitals, IT parks, and others.

Differences between the B1 grade and A2 fire-resistant panels

1.      Different core material: In the B1 grade panels the plastic core contains flame retardant material which is to the tune of around 70%. These panels have Magnesium hydroxide (MGH) and aluminum tri hydroxide (ATH) as the main core ingredients.

On the other hand – The core material in the A2 grade panels has fire retardant material to the tune of 90%. The prime ingredients in these panels are magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) and aluminum tri hydroxide(Al(OH)3).

2.      Different reactions: The two types of panels react differently to fire. The class B panel might catch a flame after a while but due to its self-extinguishing properties, the flame gets extinguished within 60 seconds of removing the panel from fire.

On the other hand, the A2 fire retardant panel does not catch fire at all.

These two major differences indicate that the A2 fire retardant panel is indeed fire retardant and it is not considered the next big thing without reasons. This development of the fire retardant panels is surely going to make buildings safer as they can install them with the assurance that in case of fire there will be enough time for the occupants to escape.

Eurobond, the leading ACP company in India, recommends the use of its A2 fire panel in all buildings, residential or commercial. With no toxic fumes, no vision blurring, no rapid spreading of fire and no release of excess heat, these panels will prove to be the difference between life and death.