Hi wmorris,
There is a
mention here
of the rayon/silica fire barriers.
This seemingly brief few paragraphs was actually the conclusion of many hours of research into fire retardant materials and for those who go in this direction ... it quickly becomes clear that there is a huge amount of misinformation on the web about fire retardancy and all the different methods used to accomplish it. Just a brief synosis to help with ideas for google searches for those who want to do their own research as well ...
Silica (
silicone dioxide
) comes in several forms ... but the two main ones are amorphous and crystalline. The
crystalline form
is the one which is of concern for silicosis. The
amorphous form
is of
low toxicity
even when inhaled. In addition to this ... the fire retardant materials such as
Visil
(which uses
sandoflam 5060
) and Milliken's
Paladin
(trade names) uses silicic acid (or polysilicic acid) which is actually mixed in with the viscose and its precipitate becomes an integral part of the fiber itself rather than a "powder" that is added to it. This is why it is called inherent and it is actually a cellulose-polysilicic acid hybrid fiber.
I find it somewhat ironic that some of the "natural" community who confuse the dangers of amorphous silica and crystalline silica also would advocate for the use or more natural pesticides such as diatomaceous earth which is actually a partly crystalline version of silica and carries a far higher risk than the inherent fibers in a mattress.
While I am no fan of the fire regulations or of many of the chemicals used (some of which are no longer used) ... I also believe that sites such as the
Strobel site
which presents some completely inaccurate and misleading information about some of the better and safer fire retardant methods (such as wool and silica) are also responsible for much of the confusion regarding fire retardant issues.
IMO ... I wouldn't hesitate to use either wool or rayon/silica for a fire barrier in a mattress without any worry of danger or toxicity.
Phoenix