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ITA's FR Assured® program comprises an advanced flame retardant (FR) treatment technology as the basis for a new, specialized grade of window coverings, accompanied by a testing and certification program for meeting national and international FR standards.
The program was developed in response to growing public awareness and concern about consumer product safety, as well as increasing state and federal fire safety regulations covering residential and commercial window treatments. These and other factors are expected to drive increased demand for FR–certified products throughout the world's markets.
FR Assured Test Methodology
ITA's FR Assured program covers both hard and soft window coverings, and is supported by rigorous testing
in accredited, independent laboratories, using officially recognized protocols. The primary testing methodology
is the NFPA 701–89 (2004 Edition) standard of the U.S. National Fire Protection Administration. This procedure measures the ability of test samples of a material to prevent the propagation of fire after exposure to a
flame for 12 seconds.
To pass the NFPA 701 test and achieve FR Assured certification, all specimens of the sample material must meet the following criteria:
- After–flame must be less than 2.0 seconds.
- The average char length of the exposed material must be less than 6.5 inches; less than 7.5 inches for an individual specimen.
- Average weight loss due to decomposition must be 40% or less; no more than 3% standard deviation for an individual specimen.
- No residual flame after reaching the floor of the test chamber.
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Fire retardant materials should not be confused with fireproof materials. Their main advantage is that they self
–extinguish rapidly after exposure to flame, with minimal decomposition and after–burn, thus impeding the spread of fire.
FR Assured Technical Advantages
FR Assured is a versatile, economically viable technology with several unique advantages:
- Both the chemical formulation and the coating process can be adapted to comply with complex, frequently changing international certification standards.
- FR Assured technology incorporates stringent quality controls to ensure that materials retain desirable performance and aesthetic characteristics such as color consistency, durability, structure and the suppleness, or "hand" of fabrics.
Why Choose FR Assured Products?
With the window fashions industry facing virtually universal flame retardant requirements within 15 years, the demand for FR–certified products is expected to intensify dramatically. Currently, such products make up only
a scant minority of the market.
In this environment, the FR Assured certification program, with its distinctive logo, will bring tremendous added value and marketing leverage to a growing number of window fashion products. ITA is committed to staying up–to–date with evolving fire retardant standards, and to developing, testing and expanding its range of products to meet those standards.
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