When your 3D printed parts are near electronic devices, batteries, or heat sources, the question shifts from “Can this print well?” to “What happens if it catches fire?”
These safety concerns are a key reason for the significant developments in the flame retardant filament market recently. This year, FormFutura launched two new flame retardant options optimized for high-speed printing; Polymaker’s FlameGuard PLA recently won an award for combining flame retardancy with eco-friendly materials; polymer manufacturer Ensinger introduced a glass fiber filled flame retardant PC filament aimed at the railway industry;
Bambu Lab is set to launch its PC FR polycarbonate filament at the end of 2024, bringing UL94 V-0 certification to the desktop 3D printing space at a more affordable price.
While standard PLA or ABS is perfectly fine for making models or desktop organizers, manufacturers are now making these critical high-safety flame retardant materials easier to print on standard desktop printers. If you were following flame retardant filaments a few years ago, you would find that the situation has greatly improved—better print performance, a wider variety of polymers, and prices that no longer require aerospace-level budgets.
Formlabs’ new flame retardant resin, suitable for electronic enclosures and other critical components, features self-extinguishing properties.
If your parts or products need to meet self-extinguishing industry standards, there are various products on the market certified to international requirements (many of which we list below). However, many polymers, such as PEEK and Ultem, are inherently flame retardant but may not have specific certifications. Manufacturers of these polymers may have conducted their own tests to ensure their flame retardancy, but they have not gone through the certification process.
However, Ultem blended with other polymers may no longer be flame retardant. In such cases, manufacturers may add flame retardant chemicals to the material. At any time, if a 3D printing material is a blend of polymers, its flame retardancy cannot be determined without laboratory testing. Do not assume that all Ultem or PEEK-based filaments are flame retardant.
A comparison of combustion tests between standard ABS (red) and Filoalfa’s flame retardant ABS (white) 3D printed parts shows that standard ABS continues to burn and melt, while the flame retardant material self-extinguishes.
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Flame Retardant Filaments
Industrial-grade flame retardant polymer filaments
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Flame Retardant Polymer Powders and Resins
Flame retardant polymer powders for SLS
Flame retardant polymer resins for SLA & DLP
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What is Flame Retardancy and Why is it Needed
Flame retardant materials slow the spread of flames because they are less likely to ignite and sustain combustion, but they are not fireproof. They are designed to minimize the risk of ignition when exposed to small heat sources (such as small flames or electrical faults).
Materials can achieve flame retardancy in several ways:
· Using chemicals that undergo endothermic reactions when heated. This means that the chemicals involved in the reaction essentially absorb heat, lowering the temperature and slowing the fire.
· Releasing inert gases when heated, smothering the flame by cutting off its contact with oxygen.
· Through a charring process, allowing the burning layer to shield the unburned layer.
Typically, any plastic parts near electrical currents require some form of fire or flame retardancy. Examples of components that pose a fire risk in the event of electrical issues include cable joints, junction boxes, and internal cable supports. Additionally, industrial machines, DIY tools, and household appliances (such as microwaves, toasters, and dishwashers) all contain flame retardant components.
In the automotive and aerospace industries, the interiors of vehicles, such as airplane cabins or racing cockpits, also need to prevent the spread of flames to protect occupants.
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Certification and Standards for Flame Retardant Materials
In the product charts above, you will notice a range of certification standards indicating the flame retardancy of materials, but what do they actually mean? Let’s take a look.
Underwriters Laboratories UL 94
UL 94 is perhaps the most common flame retardancy standard. This standard defines the flame retardancy level of materials by subjecting them to specific tests. The testing process for this certification includes repeatedly igniting components with an external flame.
To achieve the coveted 94 V-0 rating, components must exhibit the following characteristics:
After the first and second ignitions, the burn time must be less than 10 seconds. This shows how quickly components made from that material stop burning.
The afterglow after the second flame must last less than 30 seconds. This reflects how quickly the component cools after catching fire. The longer a component remains hot and glowing, the more likely it is to reignite another component nearby.
After being ignited ten times, no dripping material that can ignite cotton is allowed. Dripping materials that can ignite other materials indicate that the component may cause more fires in its immediate environment.
Burning cannot consume the entire sample. This is a useful indicator of how difficult it is for flames to spread along the material.
For 94-V.0, burning on vertical samples must stop within 10 seconds; 94-V.1 and 94-V.2 mean burning must stop within 30 seconds; and so on up to 94-5VA and 94-5VB, indicating that the sample will burn but stop within 60 seconds.
FAR 25.853
The Federal Aviation Administration has designed a vertical Bunsen burner test method to determine the combustibility of materials used in the interiors of aircraft (including cabins and cargo holds). It is known as FAR 25.853, and it is not uncommon to see the marking “FAR 25.853 – approved” on some plastic products. To meet this standard, samples are vertically fixed in a sealed box and subjected to a Bunsen burner flame for 60 seconds or 12 seconds. After the flame application time ends, the material is observed. Flame time, ignition time, burn length, and material dripping flame time are recorded.
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Selecting the Right Flame Retardant Material for Your Project
Not all flame retardant materials are the same, and choosing the wrong one can mean wasting money, failing certification, or worse—failing to adequately address fire risks. The key is to match material selection to your specific application needs, certification requirements, and budget constraints.
Consumer Electronics and DIY Projects
If you are making custom enclosures for Raspberry Pi projects, smart home devices, power supplies, or any device containing batteries or electronic components, you need flame retardancy—but you may not need aerospace-grade materials.
Recommended materials:
· eSUN eABS Max (ABS FR): $30-40/kg
· PrimaCreator PrimaSelect PLA FR: $35-45/kg
· Formfutura ABSpro Flame Retardant: $35/500g
· 3DXTech Firewire ABS-FR: $68/1kg
These affordable options all come with UL 94 V-0 certification, which is the industry standard for plastic components in electrical enclosures. For most consumer electronics applications, this level of certification is sufficient and is often required by safety standards (such as IEC 60950 for IT equipment).
Printing Settings and Mechanical Properties
Having the right material is only half the battle, as improper printing settings can compromise flame retardancy and mechanical properties. Flame retardant additives and the chemical properties of polymers create unique processing requirements.
Interlayer adhesion and fire performance: Insufficient interlayer adhesion can create voids and weak points where flames may spread. Poor interlayer adhesion essentially creates pathways for flames to spread more easily. For flame retardant materials, you typically need:
· Higher nozzle temperatures than standard filaments (usually 10-20°C higher)
· Slower print speeds to ensure complete melting and fusion
· Optimized layer height—typically 50-70% of the nozzle diameter for structural parts
Annealing and post-processing: Some flame retardant materials benefit from thermal annealing to improve crystallinity and heat resistance. Nylon-based flame retardant materials can be annealed for several hours at 80-100°C to improve their heat deflection temperature. However, confirm that annealing does not compromise the flame retardant additive system—check the material data sheet for recommended post-processing procedures.
Testing and Validation: If your application requires certification compliance, understand that printing at home does not automatically confer certification. The material itself is certified, but the flame retardancy of the parts you print depends on:
· Wall thickness meeting test specifications
· Good interlayer adhesion
· No voids or under-extrusion
· Correct material composition (not contaminated by previous materials)
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When Flame Retardant Materials Are Not Enough
Please understand that flame retardant materials are just one layer of fire safety, not a complete solution. Comprehensive fire safety requires:
· Proper electrical design to prevent ignition sources
· Circuit protection (fuses, circuit breakers, thermal fuses)
· Physical isolation of high-risk components
· Sufficient ventilation and cooling
· Fire detection and suppression systems in appropriate locations
Flame retardant materials can buy time during a fire event and prevent small heat sources from igniting, but they cannot survive indefinitely under direct flame exposure. Please design your system using a layered defense principle—multi-tiered protection rather than relying solely on material properties.
For the highest risk applications, consider whether additive manufacturing is the appropriate production method. Parts made from certified flame retardant resins through injection molding may provide more consistent fire performance than 3D printed parts, especially in high-volume production where cost differences become negligible.
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