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Introduction Material
types
polyester
vinlyester
epoxy
modar
bisphenol
novalac
Fibres
Core
Materials
Phenol
resin
extreme temperature Product
surface
Cellobond gel coats
Surface paste
Fire
certification
Applications
Interior
refurbishment
Products
Tunnelcladdings
Custombuild
Composite Parts
Interior
Parts and Column
surface examples
See
also surface finish page for colour and effect charts
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INTRODUCTION
(Fibre reinforced)
plastics are in general regarded as flammable materials. In a lot of cases
this is justified, but there are also many advanced plastic which have
very good fire retardant habits. Especially some advanced fibre reinforced
plastic (composites) have such good fire retardant habits that they
out-perform many other materials. At UC we are surprised, that other
industries do not often use this type of materials, except the space and
aerospace industry.
The technology is that far advanced, that steel and concrete structures
can be protected by these materials against the enormous heat of fire for
long durations . To go even further, that these advanced composite
materials, have in some chases an higher residual strength than steel,
have an extreme low smoke development, almost no fire propagation and do
not emit toxic or flammable vapours. At normal conditions these
materials have all the advantages know of composites like; the extreme
high specific strength (in some cases at least 10 times the strength of
steel), are corrosion and chemical resistant, have very low
maintenance cost, etc.
With the current available production techniques, and especially the new
closed production techniques developed by UC, there is no reason any more
to decide not to use these materials for cost price issue's. It has a
higher quality price ratio, is more save, and cheaper on the long run
(Life Cycle Cost analysis).
MATERIAL
TYPES
TOP
RESIN (the matrix)
In fibre reinforced plastics, the fibre causes no fire retardancy problems
and is regarded to be inflammable / fire resistant. The matrix (resin)
however needs extra attention . In general, resins are made fire
retardant, by the use of additives and fillers like by example aluminium
nitride or more expensive SiC. How higher the fill rate and/or how higher
the fibre volume percentage, the better the fire retardancy habits become.
So it's favourable to have a low as possible viscosity (more liquid) to
gain a maximum filling rate up to the level that it is still practical for
the part manufacturer to use. A disadvantage however is, that fillers have
in many cases negative influence on the mechanical habits of the resin
itself.
Examples of filled
resins are;
polyester, vinlyester, epoxy, and modar (acrylic systems). Especially the last one can be filled
very high due to the extreme low viscosity of Modar, and the highest
levels of fire retardancy can be met (except toxicity). In all cases gives
a aluminium
nitrate
filling a whitening effect on the pigmentation of the resin. Due to this
it's difficult to pigment dark colours, with phenol however the opposite
is the case.
Other resin systems are fire retardant by their chemical formulation.
These are bisphenol (A) polyester, bisphenol vinlyester and
epoxy (all Novalac types) and of course
phenol (see
below). All above mentioned matrix systems are thermo set resins and
interesting for outdoor applications were water and whether are of
influence.
There are also thermoplastics like PEI and PEEK which are of interest for
smaller size parts and big production quantities. PEI has as a
thermoplastic fire retardancy habits similar to phenol and sometimes
even better, but is very expensive to use for large parts due to the high
processing temperatures. The just above described resins are most often
used by UC besides phenol and BMI's.
FIBRES (the reinforcement)
The in composites used fibres are regarded to be inflammable. The applied fibres are
glass, aramide and carbon. Aramide is also used for it's good insulation
habits but has a lower fire resistance than the other fibres (approx.
300-400 ºC).
For more advanced applications were fire resistance and high operating
temperatures are of issue, fibres like S-glass, quartz glass, boron,
graphite and ceramics are used. See also high
temperature performance composites.
CORE
MATERIALS
For fire retardant sandwich structures special core materials are used.
The types UC mostly uses are nomex honeycomb, aluminium honeycomb, phenol
foam and special plywood/balsawood. If fire retardancy requirements allows
it to use others foams like special formulated PIR and PVC foams, then
these core materials have to be fully encapsulated within the laminate.
PHENOL TOP
Phenol resins have as
matrix superior fire retardancy habits compared to the above mentioned
resin systems and this without additives and/or fillers. Also exhibits
phenol a high temperature resistance and maintains / has low decrease of
it's mechanical features at operating temperatures up to approx. 200 ºC.
Specially modified phenol resins have even a better temperature resistance up to
300 ºC in combination with fire retardancy habits up to the highest
possible class (class 0). Click for Fire
Certification.
Protection / insulation to extreme
temperatures.
There are even specially filled phenol resins which exhibit fire
retardancy features up to 5000 ºC to insulate and protect structures to
jet fires or extreme temperatures from nitro combustion (burning of film
materials). It is show in practice that it's easier for a thermal lance to
go through concrete (10 inches) than through 10 inches of this special
formulated phenol material.
The advantages of phenol
laminates in case of fire besides all the maintained advantages of
composites are;
-
no auto-propagation
of flame
-
very low smoke
development (lowest possible)
-
very low toxic fume
emission (almost not measurable)
-
low heat release
-
no release of
flammable vapour
-
very low loss of
strength at high operating temperatures up to 200 ºC
-
low thermal
conductivity
Click for fire
certificates.
For BMI / PEI and PMR 15 click high temperature performance
composites
PRODUCT
SURFACE
TOP
To make all sorts of
product surfaces which meet the highest standards on fire retardancy
specially formulated gel coats and surface pastes have been developed. UC
uses modified polyester gel coats and phenol based surface pastes. Parts
made with these gel coats meet most of the European and American class 1
fire retardancy standards.
With surface pastes even
higher classes (class 0/1) of fire retardancy are possible but the parts
have to be painted afterwards with special PU/epoxy based paint systems.
The possibilities for
great surfaces with gel coats are enormous. Examples are;
-
All Ral colours
-
In combination with
mould, high gloss, silk gloss, dull and several types of surface
structures like granite, marble, stone are possible
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Granite, marble,
plaster effects
-
Spot effects etc.
-
With surface pastes
only surface structures like marble, granite are not possible. All
other effects are possible.
-
With applying wood
veneer or HPL, all wood effects are possible. The veneer or HPL have
to meet the fire retardancy requirements/classes.
See
also surface finish page for RAL, BS and surface effect charts.
An extra advantage
is that by the use of these surfaces, especially gel coats, the surface
becomes graffiti proof and is easily cleaned.
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Some
examples
BUILDING/CONSTRUCTION
Interiors / Refurbishment /
Wall- panels / Roof structures, Fire doors doors, etc.
Passage shopping centre
in Netherlands
Light weight adv. fire
retardant composites interior class 0/1, lowest possible smoke development
etc.
Columns and Beams
light weight, fire
retardant (class 1/0), graffiti proof, gives also protection to steel
columns in case of fire, etc.
CIVIL CONSTRUCTION
fire retardant linings for
tunnels, containers, ammunition storage etc.
Fire retardant lining for tunnel
highest class BS 476 part 6
& 7
TRAINS/
TRANSPORTATION
interior and exterior
parts
Train interior and train head
Metro of Bangkok.
Highly advanced light
weight fire retardant parts according highest class of DIN 5510
MARINE
interior, structural
parts, engine room parts etc.
Ship interior of Ferry
highest class IMO
PDF files
Comparison
table international fire retardancy levels
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