Founded in 1975 on a fabric treatment formulation still in use today — plus a newer formulation developed specifically for timber in 2023. Both independently tested throughout.
Sapphire Flame Retardant's effectiveness was first independently verified two years before the company itself was formally registered. Fifty years later, the same fabric formulation is still being tested — and still holding up. Our timber treatment, introduced in 2023, uses a separate and newer formulation, tested on its own terms — see the 2023 entry below.
Sapphire Flame Retardant treatment was tested against untreated textiles and foam using semi-circular and cabinet flammability tests. Findings: treated materials were considerably more resistant to flame spread, showing charring rather than sustained burning — even under repeated flame exposure. Treatment was found to withstand dry-cleaning well, though ordinary washing removes it.
The company was established in Cape Town, building on the formulation already independently verified two years earlier.
Originally developed for the auto panel-beating industry, the welding blanket found rapid adoption across mining, marine, and heavy industrial welding — protecting people and equipment from sparks, splatter, and open flame.
Both the fabric treatment (Report FTC 18/117) and the FiremanBrand Welding Blanket (Report FTC 18/083) were independently tested by Firelab, based at the CSIR campus in Pretoria — the same scientific lineage as the original 1973 testing. Both showed no flame spread.
A new halogen-free formulation purpose-built for raw timber and plywood. Firelab testing (Report FTC 22/175) showed ignition delayed from 10 seconds (untreated) to over six minutes at three coats, with flame spread reduced by roughly 90%.
Our timber treatment is currently undergoing further testing with Firelab. We hold off on new performance claims until each report is in hand — we'd rather under-claim than get ahead of the evidence.
Flame retardant treatment is removed by ordinary washing, though it withstands dry-cleaning well (tested to 5 cycles with no significant loss of effectiveness in the original 1973 testing). We recommend retreatment after laundering to maintain full protection — our team can advise on the right schedule for your application.
Regulations including SANS 10400 Part T (fire safety in buildings) and SANS 10366 (health and safety at events) require flame retardant treatment for materials like curtains, draping, and tent structures. Our treatments help clients meet these requirements, backed by independent SANS 10177 – Part 9 test reports — not self-issued certificates.