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Plexiglas® Sheet and Fire
Plexiglas® sheet must be used with an appreciation for the fact that it is a combustible material. In general, the same fire precautions that are observed in connection with the handling and use of any ordinary combustible material should be observed when handling, storing or using Plexiglas® sheet.
Building codes define good practice in the use of Plexiglas® sheet for light transmission and control on a design and engineering basis that takes into account the combustibility and fire characteristics of the material.
The fire hazard of uses of Plexiglas® sheet can be kept at an acceptable level by complying with building codes and observing established principles of fire safety. We list the fire response characteristics of Plexiglas® sheet in one column and the design, engineering, and fire protection implications of the characteristics in the adjacent column.
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FIRE RESPONSE CHARACTERISTICS |
RECOMMENDED PRACTICES |
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The ignition temperature of Plexiglas® acrylic is higher than that of most woods but it will ignite readily and, when involved in fire, will burn vigorously and generate heat rapidly. |
Install Plexiglas® acrylic away from sources of intense heat or flame. Enclose edges of Plexiglas® acrylic components. Observe building code stipulations and restrictions. Do not use more Plexiglas acrylic than required to perform the function required of it. Employ fire protective systems, e.g. sprinklers, fire detectors, automatic vents, as hazard analysis indicates. |
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Plexiglas® acrylic softens when heated above 260°F, which is approximately 300° below its ignition temperature. |
Do not use Plexiglas® acrylic as a supporting element or in any location where resistance to fire penetration is required. |
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Plexiglas® acrylic, if held in position when burning, will drip burning droplets. |
If overhead lighting, mount Plexiglas® acrylic in free-channel mountings to ensure fallout prior to ignition. When used in interior window systems, mount the Plexiglas® sheet in such a manner as to ensure fallout prior to ignition. Extinguish burning Plexiglas® acrylic with water or fire extinguishers. |
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When installed as a wall or ceiling finish or when laminated to a substrate, Plexiglas® acrylic provides a surface over which flame may spread rapidly and release heat and gases contributing to flashover. |
Do not install Plexiglas® acrylic as applied wall or ceiling finish or as a substrate surfacing material for large interior surface areas in building applications unless the areas are protected by an automatic sprinkler system and approval is obtained from the controlling jurisdiction. |
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Large-area installations of Plexiglas® acrylic such as transparent enclosures and continuous sections of interior window systems are not provided for in building code regulations because they do not conform to area limitations and therefore require special permits based on analysis of all relevant fire safety considerations. |
Relevant considerations are use of the structure (occupancy); location (exposure); height and area; nature of interior arrangements (decorations, finishes code regulations furnishings); availability and construction of fire exits; need for special fire protection systems such as sprinklers, automatic heat and smoke vents, early warning devices and deluge systems or water curtains. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, sprinkler systems should be used. |
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Burning Plexiglas® acrylic does not produce either excessive quantities of smoke or gases more toxic than those produced by burning wood or paper. The concentratian of carbon monoxide and/or carbon dioxide released by burning Plexiglas® acrylic is a factor of the quantity of Plexiglas® acrylic involved and the conditions of burning. |
The use of Plexiglas® acrylic is not restricted because of the character of its products of decomposition but because of its combustibility and burning characteristics. |
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