Fire ratings for acoustic materials - Crans Montana

[Scrutable]

It seems clear that the stuff on the ceiling is untreated urethane. I did not realize that Basotect was fire resistant so that is a great data point. It is also a great sound absorber and I bought some for that purpose when I was restoring a car. But now maybe the large leftover piece will find its way into my listening room.

BASF charges a premium and the resellers jack it up to crazy levels, but unbranded melamine foam would probably be just as good. Anyone know of a source?

 

[Scrutable]

Per BASF, V0 and HF1 are met by Basotect. If I am reading it right then these are very good ratings. Looks like they apply a bunsen burner for 30 seconds. V0 must self-extinguish with no burning drips in 10 seconds or less. Impressive!

 

[kemmler3D]

What is the fire safety standard that members should look for on acoustic foam?

Anyone know?

IMO Class A / 1 are achievable, available, and affordable enough compared to the alternatives. Many areas require this for stuff hanging on the wall as part of fire codes. But if you decide to go lower than Class A or get something that isn't fire-rated, try to be smart about where you hang it. The foam that I sold was treated to be Class A. Wouldn't catch if you held a lighter to it.

But, I think if you have the money and ability to steer the decision, it's probably smartest to go with stuff that doesn't burn at all, e.g. rockwool.

 

[Philbo King]

It is a grim deja vu for New Englanders unfortunately. The exact same material and similar pyrotechnics caused the fire at The Station nightclub in 2003 that killed 100 in West Warwick RI. It was a large, successful, and well known club. It was not cited for code compliance by local authorities despite two inspections. There were sufficient exits for code compliance but the fire spread so fast that people couldn't use all of them. The front door was clogged by the crowd trying to escape. Two horrible and totally preventable tragedies.

It begs the question: What SHOULD be used? Rock wool seems like the only likely candidate but it is pretty ugly to work with, plus everything is usually covered in fabric. Thoughts?

Rockwool or fiberglass. The fabric covering also needs to be fire resistant.

 

[kemmler3D]

unbranded melamine foam would probably be just as good. Anyone know of a source?

Check alibaba, although most of what I've seen is cut into "magic eraser" style sponges, some factories put out larger sheets for acoustic use.

Make sure to check density, also double-check that it's just as flame-resistant as the BASF stuff! Assuming one bit of foam is as good as another is what started this thread...

 

[respice finem]

Check alibaba, although most of what I've seen is cut into "magic eraser" style sponges, some factories put out larger sheets for acoustic use.

Make sure to check density, also double-check that it's just as flame-resistant as the BASF stuff! Assuming one bit of foam is as good as another is what started this thread...

Double-checking by burning a sample first? I wouldn't be sure the stuff sold is always identical with the stuff certified, when a third party is the vendor.