What Flame-Retardant Materials Are Available for 3D Printing?

As defined by Merriam-Webster, if a material is flame retardant, it is “made or treated so as to resist burning.” Or in simpler words, in contrast to flame resistance, where something can operate as normal within fire conditions, anything that is flame retardant actively prevents fires from spreading. And as you can guess, it’s incredibly important with the market for these materials estimated to be worth 8.63B in 2022 and with applications like furniture, textiles, electronics and even building materials. It also is gaining in importance within additive manufacturing for end-use parts where combustion is a risk, with an uptick in available flame-retardant 3D printing materials. We take a closer look at the different solutions, separated by filaments, resins and powders, on the market in the following list.

Filaments

High-Performance Flame-Retardant Materials

High-performance materials are a group of polymers capable of withstanding demanding environments, not only in terms of temperature, but also mechanical and chemical stress. These materials have complex thermal profiles and are often used for industrial applications, mainly in the aerospace, automotive and rail sectors. They are generally inherently flame retardant.

Take for example PEEK, which belongs to the PAEK family and has a high flammability temperature, in addition to being mechanically and chemically highly resistant. There are many manufacturers of PEEK in filament form, including Victrex, Evonik, 3DXTech and others. Another example is PEKK, a flame-retardant material that does not emit toxic fumes. This polymer is highly resistant to wear and fluids. Finally, it’s hard not to mention PEI – or ULTEM – when we talk about PEEK and PEKK. This thermoplastic is also flame-retardant. In fact, ULTEM™ 9085 is certified for low fire, smoke and toxicity (FST) applications, and its flammability rating is UL 94 V-0.