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What is UL 94-V0 testing standard?

The UL 94 standard is a globally recognized authoritative standard for evaluating the flammability of plastic components in equipment and electrical appliances. Among them, V-0 is the highest rating in the vertical burning test. It requires that after two 10-second burning tests, the after-flame time of each test should not exceed 10 seconds, and the total after-flame time of five samples should not exceed 50 seconds. Most importantly, the V-0 rating strictly prohibits any flame droplets during the test from igniting the cotton indicator below. This requirement is much stricter than the UL 94 V-2 rating (which allows flame droplets).

 

Why it is so important for flame retardant polycarbonate products?

The significance of this certification lies in the fact that it directly determines whether a product can be included in applications with mandatory fire safety requirements. In fields such as electronics, aerospace, and rail transportation, the UL 94 V-0 rating is often a fundamental prerequisite for product design and material selection, rather than an optional feature. Therefore, this SGS test report also serves as a powerful endorsement of credibility for suppliers.

Halogen-free flame-retardant polycarbonate sheets represent the future trend in the field of flame-retardant materials and are a key product line for addressing increasingly strict global environmental regulations and meeting the demands of high-end markets for low smoke and low toxicity.

With the manufacturing trend of automotive lightweighting, halogen-free flame-retardant polycarbonate sheets are increasingly widely used in public safety-critical scenarios such as rail transit and aerospace. When a fire occurs, halogen-free polycarbonate sheets do not produce smoke or toxic gases, thus not seriously hindering escape. Halogen-free flame retardants, especially phosphorus-nitrogen inorganic (PIN) flame retardants, can reduce gas emissions by lowering the combustion intensity, ensuring a low smoke density and no generation of gas corrosiveness or smoke toxicity.

 

Halogen-free flame-retardant PC sheets not only achieve the same flame-retardant grade as halogen-containing products, but also offer additional value in terms of environmental protection and physical properties:
Outstanding flame retardancy: Halogen-free PC products can achieve or even exceed the highest flame retardancy rating of UL 94 V-0. For instance, there are already halogen-free PC sheets on the market that have achieved UL V-0 rating at different thicknesses (such as 0.41mm, 0.50mm, and 0.83mm).
Maintaining optical properties: A successful halogen-free formulation can achieve high flame retardancy while maximizing the inherent high transparency and high impact strength of polycarbonate, with minimal impact on light transmission and haze.
Outstanding electrical performance: Halogen-free flame-retardant PC typically has excellent electrical tracking resistance (such as CTI-O), providing reliable electrical insulation performance in high-energy-consuming electronic and electrical applications.

 

Flame-retardant polycarbonate sheet is a high-performance thermoplastic modified by adding flame retardants. It retains the inherent advantages of polycarbonate while enhancing fire safety.

Core advantages
High flame retardancy: It can suppress or delay the ignition and combustion of materials.
High transparency: PC material naturally has an extremely high light transmission rate, comparable to that of glass. Advanced flame retardant formulas can minimize the impact on transparency (such as haze).
High impact resistance: It has excellent toughness, making it resistant to impact and damage.
Excellent electrical insulation: It has good electrical insulation properties and is suitable for current-carrying components.