Abstract: A fire retardant material is formed by intimately associating the unexpanded form of perlite in association with a permeable mass of silica glass, said association is formed by permeating said perlite into said mass of glass. Preferedly the composition comprises particles of unexpanded perlite less than 100 mesh and preferably no larger than 200 mesh and the permeable glass comprises a glass fiber mat. The fire retardant material can be formed as a unified body capable of being applied onto other structural components or alternately, it can be intimately bonded to the surface of structural components as a veneer layer. Upon exposure to combustion temperatures the perlite expands from its unexpanded form to its expanded form at or near the deformation point of the glass mat followed by reaction of the perlite and the glass to form a flame-impenetrable ceramic.

Abstract: A fire retardant material is formed by intimately associating the unexpanded form of perlite in association with a permeable mass of silica glass, said association is formed by permeating said perlite into said mass of glass. The composition comprises particles of unexpanded perlite less than 100 mesh and preferredly no larger than 200 mesh and the permeable glass comprises a glass fiber mat. The fire retardant material can be formed as a unified body capable of being applied onto other structural components or alternately, it can be intimately bonded to the surface of structural components as a veneer layer. Upon exposure to combustion temperatures the perlite expands from its unexpanded form to its expanded form at or near the deformation point of the glass mat followed by reaction of the perlite and the glass to form a flame-impenetrable ceramic.