Is ACP Cladding Really Safe ?

The safety debate of aluminium composite panels is still on-going, and the governments have made no firm conclusions. Nevertheless, each government has its position regarding the safety issue of ACP cladding.
The debate starts mainly from the core of aluminium composite panels. ACPs are construction materials that include two layers of aluminium and a core. The materials that are used in the core define the combustibility of aluminium composite panels. ACP materials manufacturers mostly use polymer in the core. However, the polymer is highly flammable, making it not suitable for ACP cladding. The panels which employ more than 30% of the polymer are not ideal for cladding or external usages. Therefore, the polymer core is mostly applied in the building’s interior parts, where a fire safety issue is not as significant as cladding. Internal decoration, false ceilings, and partitions are ACP polymer cores applications, yet this could also change by the client’s request.
For increasing the safety of ACP cladding, most aluminium composite panel suppliers have used non-combustible materials in the core. The most well recognized ACP core is the mineral-filled ones. The core of these panels is filled with mineral elements, making them completely safe. The mineral-filled cores don’t catch fire, nor do they spread them. Even though mineral-filled cores are the most applicable core in ACP cladding, other choices such as honeycomb and fire retardant cores are also available. Different aluminium composite panel manufacturers have a variety of fire rating cores.