High-silica or E-glass cloth: which should I use for welding blankets, heat shields and fire curtains?

Pick by the hottest temperature the cloth will see. E-glass cloth such as EW140-100 does not burn and works up to 540 °C (1,000 °F)^[1], which covers most welding spatter protection, pipe lagging and general heat shielding. High-silica cloth, with more than 96% SiO₂, works continuously at 900 °C, survives 1,450 °C for 10 minutes and softens only at 1,700 °C^[2], for molten metal splash, furnace curtains and fire barriers.

540 °CE-glass cloth EW140, working limit

900 °Chigh-silica cloth, continuous

1,450 °Chigh-silica, for 10 minutes

1,700 °Chigh-silica softening point

How do the two cloths compare?

	E-glass cloth EW140-100	High-silica cloth 320 g
Fiber	E-glass yarn, plain weave^[1]	silica fiber, more than 96% SiO₂^[2]
Burns?	no^[1]	no (inorganic fiber)^[2]
Working temperature	up to 540 °C^[1]	900 °C long-term^[2]
Short exposure	—	1,450 °C for 10 min; 1,600 °C for 15 s^[2]
Softening point	—	1,700 °C^[2]
Coating	—	can be coated to customer requirement^[2]
Price	lower	higher

Temperature figures (°C)

E-glass EW140, working540

High-silica, continuous900

High-silica, 10 minutes1,450

High-silica, 15 seconds1,600

High-silica, softening point1,700

Which cloth for which job?

Application	Typical heat	Choose
Light welding and grinding spatter	sparks, short contact	E-glass cloth (coated for abrasion if needed)
Pipe and exhaust insulation covers	up to a few hundred °C	E-glass cloth
Heavy welding, cutting, slag	hot slag, longer contact	high-silica cloth
Furnace and foundry curtains, molten metal splash	900 °C and above	high-silica cloth
Fire curtains and fire barriers	flame exposure for minutes	high-silica cloth, tested to your fire standard

Glass fiber yarn packages on creels — E-glass yarn on creels, ready to be woven into high-temperature cloth.

TipThe cloth temperature rating is not a fire rating for your finished product. Curtains and blankets sold as fire protection usually need testing to a national or EN standard. Test the finished item, with its seams and thread.

Why not carbon fiber?

Carbon fiber laminates are limited by their epoxy resin, which softens at 100–130 °C, and carbon conducts electricity. For heat and fire protection, glass and silica cloth are the right materials. See carbon fiber temperature limits.

What to send

Working temperature and exposure time, cloth weight and width, coating, roll length and quantity. Use the quote form, or see the high-temperature silica cloth and EW140 fiberglass cloth pages.