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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

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surface examples



See also surface finish page for colour and effect charts

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 

  • 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. 

TOP

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