Alexium Inc., a performance technologies specialist based in Greer, South Carolina, has launched its AlexiShield fire retardant product suite to improve the performance of flame-retardant barriers used in the furniture and bedding industries. The AlexiShield suite, available as a proprietary textile finish or treatment on foam or other substrates, can be applied using conventional textile equipment that allows non-inherent FR fibers as an effective FR barrier.
“We’re in a unique environment where manufacturers are facing an increasing regulatory environment on banned substances respective to FR, as well as an increased enforcement environment by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on conformance to federal flammability requirements,” said Alexium CEO Billy Blackburn.
“AlexiShield was designed to help eliminate any substance of concern from your FR while providing superior FR protection you know will pass.”
According to a news release, AlexiShield provides a flame-retardant solution free of known substances of concern, including formaldehyde, halogenated flame retardants, antimony, boron-based flame retardants, per- & poly-fluoroalkyl compounds, organophosphorus compounds and para-aramids. This chemistry is also compliant with state-specific regulations, including California Prop 65, California AB-2998, Massachusetts Amendment S.2988 and many more.
In recent laboratory testing under the 16 CFR 1633 mattress burn standard, AlexiShield-treated substrates self-extinguished in under four minutes, outperforming other FR solutions. In additional vertical burn testing, cotton-based, rayon-based, and FR rayon-based fabrics treated with AlexiShield self-extinguish with no after-flame, while untreated fabrics burned completely. This enhanced flammability resistance reduces fuel load during testing and retains the strength of the unburned fabric, the news release said.
“The AlexiShield product suite was designed as a comprehensive solution to reduce risk and engineering time required to meet flammability requirements, Alexium Head of Technology Nick Leitner said. “This performance boost, coupled with ease of application makes the AlexiShield products a readily implementable solution.”
The company said AlexiShield solutions are American-made, available as finished products for manufacturers or intermediate material applications for textile & foam producers and are easily integrated into standard textile or foam finishing processes.
