SilicaPro

No, and the difference matters. Flame retardant fabric has been chemically treated to slow flame spread. It will still burn under sustained heat, and the treatment can degrade with washing and age.

Our fireproof cloth is built on a non-combustible inorganic base fabric. It does not ignite because there is nothing present that can burn, and that property cannot wear off because it was never added. If a supplier describes a product as fireproof without stating the base material, ask what it is made from before comparing prices.

Because they measure different exposures. Up to 500 degrees Celsius is the continuous figure, meaning the fabric can sit at that temperature for extended periods and keep working. The 550 to 1100 degree range is the rated resistance for short term and peak exposure, and it varies with the coating.

Most hot work is governed by the second figure. A welding curtain takes intense but brief spark contact, not sustained heat. Equipment covers wrapped around a permanently hot surface are governed by the first. Tell us which applies and we will specify accordingly.

The coating sets the temperature rating and the resistance profile, which is why the same base fabric covers a range from 550 to 1100 degrees rather than a single number.

Rather than choosing a coating yourself, describe the exposure. Tell us whether the heat is radiant or contact, whether molten spatter is involved, whether chemicals or moisture are present, and whether the fabric is handled daily or fitted once. Those answers point to a coating far more reliably than a temperature figure quoted in isolation.

We supply 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm. Thickness governs durability and drape far more than temperature capability, since heat resistance comes from the fabric chemistry and the coating rather than from how much material is present.

Thin fabric drapes better and is easier to wrap around irregular equipment. Thick fabric survives more handling and abrasion. If your protection is dragged into position daily, favour the heavier option. If it needs to conform around complex shapes, favour the lighter one.

Yes, resistance to spark splash, molten spatter and welding slag is a core function of this product rather than a secondary benefit.

Be aware that spatter is the most demanding duty in this category. It arrives as physical particles carrying their own heat, and it attacks the coating directly rather than merely raising the surface temperature. If molten metal is involved, say so explicitly at inquiry stage so the coating is chosen for it.

Two practical reasons. Sites frequently colour code protective equipment by temperature rating so that the wrong blanket cannot be grabbed for the wrong job, and that only works if more than one colour is available.

The second reason is commercial. Distributors and safety brands selling under their own label want product that looks like theirs rather than like everyone else's grey roll. We produce white, red, silver-grey, black and beige as standard, with custom colours to requirement.

Yes. We convert the fabric in house into welding blankets, fire blankets, curtains, covers and sleeves, with eyelets, hems and reinforcement as specified.

If you are not already set up to sew high temperature fabric, buying finished is usually the better route. Stitching this material requires a matching high temperature thread, and a blanket sewn with ordinary thread fails at the seam long before the fabric is troubled. We produce that thread too, but the simpler answer is often to let us do the conversion.

The base fabric does not degrade, because it is non-combustible by composition. What wears is the coating, and how quickly depends entirely on the exposure.

A curtain hanging in a workshop lasts a very long time. A blanket taking direct molten spatter several times a day will show coating damage within months. Inspect for coating loss, stiffening and burn-through at the areas of heaviest exposure, and replace on condition rather than on a fixed schedule.

The coated surface is described as non-irritating and is considerably more comfortable to handle than bare glass fabric, which is one reason coated products dominate this category.

That said, follow your own site handling procedures. Cut edges on any technical fabric warrant more care than the face of the material, and a fabric that has taken heavy spatter damage may have exposed fibre where the coating has gone.

Yes. Samples of standard specifications are normally available, and for a product bought on handling as much as on rating we would rather you tested it.

Tell us the application when you request one. Drape and stiffness differ noticeably between thicknesses and coatings, and a sample matched to your actual use tells you far more than a generic swatch.

Standard widths, thicknesses and colours carry a lower minimum because the material already exists. A custom colour, coating or width needs its own production run, which raises both the minimum and the lead time.

Tell us the specification and your rough volume and we will confirm the exact figure with your quotation rather than quoting a generic minimum that may not apply.

Payment is normally by T/T, structured as a deposit with the balance settled before shipment. We confirm the exact split with your quotation.

EXW, FOB, CIF and DAP terms are all available, so you can pick whichever fits how your freight is already arranged. If you have a nominated forwarder we will work with them directly.