Sunday, June 22, 2014

Discussion Of Fire Retardant Coatings

By Ina Hunt


Substances used during firefighting are aimed at ensuring that the process of combustion is delayed by interrupting and is made of coatings or materials. The discussion of fire retardant coatings will cover the different materials used. This may comprise of the agents that depend on physical action to work or even chemical agents.

There are number of retardants types available in the market today for timber, wood and other components. They are being marketed as suitable for the treatment of the particular component. All made from different compositions to suit the needs of customers. This will be discussed as below.

The most common coating used in fire fighters is the Intumescent Coatings. An intumescent is a substance that swells up as a consequence of heat exposure, therefore escalating in volume and decreasing in density and are of two types. The soft char intumescents produce a light char, which is a poor conductor of heat, thus retarding heat transfer while the harder char are produced with graphite and silicates of sodium and suitable for exterior steel fireproofing as well as fire stops of plastic pipes.

Melamine which is the expanding material, ammonium polyphosphate that is the source of acid and pentaerythritol that supplies carbon are the components that interact together to ensure that the expansion process of the intumescent coatings goes through. However, other components are normally added in order to develop the paint material goods, improve the build and facilitate faster drying as the above components are usually dipped in a water-borne polymeric tool.

The chemical process starts when heat is instilled and this makes the ammonia phosphate to produce acid of organic kind as it softens the polymeric binder. The blowing agent, melamine then undergoes decomposition to release a gas that facilitates the swelling of the mixture that initially was molten and the char solidifies so as to maintain insulation.

Heat is usually exerted so that it works in making soft the binder which is made up of polymeric during the chemical reaction and as a result, ammonia phosphate responsible for production of acid releases it in an organic. From this, the blowing agent is observed to decompose and releases a gas which later makes the molten mixture to swell, and then the char solidifies to facilitate insulation. Normally, intumescent can enlarge to about 100 times its initial wideness although this will happen if the equipment used for formulation are correctly selected.

Saturation done by appliance of tropical is another way. This is done by using a brush or spray to apply around 2-3coats. This approach can be cost friendly in meeting the fire retardant using timber especially is the required items for treatment are frames on windows or exterior doors.

As unfolded, there are various types of coatings for the this retardant, and therefore is upon an individual to chose. During the selection, it is recommended that one gets to understand the functions of theses coverings and the mechanism behind its use. This ensures good and effective decision making that will yield satisfactory




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