Why Silicone-Coated Upholstery Can Meet Fire Standards Without Added Flame Retardants

Sileather
Jul 1
3 min read

Updated: Jul 10

A few years ago, most fire-safety conversations with upholstery buyers ended once a material passed the required test. That's changed.

Today, procurement teams want to know not just whether a fabric meets CAL 117 or FMVSS 302, but how it achieves that performance—and specifically, what has been added to the formulation.

The same scrutiny that brought PFAS-free documentation into many specifications is now extending to flame-retardant (FR) chemistry.

Sileather's silicone-coated textiles answer that question differently. Rather than relying on added flame-retardant chemistry in the silicone coating, their fire behavior is largely determined by the chemistry of the silicone coating itself and verified through application-specific testing.

Silicone-coated upholstery is used across automotive, marine, healthcare, hospitality, and other demanding commercial applications — Sileather silicone-coated upholstery is used in demanding automotive and commercial interior applications.

Why Most Upholstery Materials Need Flame Retardants

PVC, polyurethane foam, and many conventional coated textiles rely on carbon-based polymers. To meet fire-performance requirements, manufacturers often incorporate flame-retardant chemistry into the coating, foam, or other components. Brominated compounds and phosphorus-based additives have been widely used because they help slow ignition or interrupt combustion. As regulations evolve, purchasers increasingly want to understand whether a material depends on added FR chemistry at all.

How Silicone-Coated Upholstery Behaves Differently

Sileather is a silicone-coated textile system: a 100% silicone coating applied over a woven or knit backing. The discussion here relates specifically to the silicone coating used in Sileather's tested constructions.

Unlike conventional carbon-based coatings, silicone polymers contain a silicon-oxygen backbone. Under sustained high heat, the silicone coating can form a silica-like surface residue that acts as a thermal barrier and helps slow heat transfer and flame spread. The exact behaviour depends on formulation and test conditions, but this response is a documented characteristic of silicone chemistry rather than the result of a separate flame-retardant additive package.

Comparison diagram showing how traditional carbon-based coatings (PVC, PU) release flammable gases under heat and require added flame-retardant chemistry, versus silicone-coated upholstery which can form a silica-like thermal barrier — achieving fire performance through the coating chemistry itself without added FR additives. — Under sustained heat, carbon-based coatings break down and release flammable gases — requiring added FR chemistry to control combustion. Silicone coatings respond differently, forming a silica-like surface residue that slows heat transfer without a separate flame-retardant additive. Results depend on the tested construction; always verify for your specific assembly

What the Testing Shows

Key Takeaway

Fire-performance testing evaluates the complete upholstery construction—not just the surface coating.

The cover fabric, backing, foam, adhesives, and assembly all contribute to the final test result. Test reports should always be interpreted in the context of the specific upholstery construction that was tested.

Fire testing evaluates an assembly rather than an isolated coating. In Sileather's tested CAL TB117-2013 construction, the cover fabric passed over a standard untreated polyurethane foam substrate. Under those tested conditions, the fire performance is achieved without added flame-retardant chemistry in the silicone coating formulation. Different foams, backings, adhesives, or assemblies should always be verified separately.

Standards

Depending on product and application, Sileather silicone-coated fabrics have been tested to CAL 117, ASTM E84, BS 5852, EN 1021 Parts 1 & 2, UFAC Class 1, NFPA 260, IMO FTP 2010 Code Parts 5 & 8, FMVSS 302, EN 45545-2 (HL1–HL3), and GB 8410, subject to the applicable product construction and test reports.

How This Compares

Fire performance is only one part of material selection. Durability, cleanability, appearance, maintenance, and project requirements remain equally important. The key distinction is that Sileather's tested silicone coating achieves its documented fire performance without added flame-retardant chemistry in the coating formulation.

Specification Summary

Applications: Marine, contract furniture, healthcare, transportation, automotive.

Key attributes: 100% silicone coating, low VOC, durable, cleanable, non-porous surface, no added FR chemistry in the coating.Limitations: Certifications apply only to tested constructions. Non-standard assemblies should be verified separately.

Why This Matters

As chemical transparency becomes a standard part of specification documentation — not just a differentiator — knowing how a material achieves fire performance is increasingly practical information. For silicone-coated constructions like Sileather, the answer is straightforward: the performance comes from the chemistry of the coating itself.