Introduction

The patent refers to a system using intumescent paint on the inside surface of a fireproof board. In this way, the board, which can already be used as fire protection, guarantees mechanical resistance and a seal against smoke filtration, while the reactive paint, once expanded, significantly increases the board’s insulation capacity.

Technical features

The invention refers to the simple application of a reactive coatings to ordinary fire protection boards. Compared to reactive coatings currently on the market, it is desirable to develop formulations that maximise the insulating power, with less stringent constraints on mechanical stability. The idea behind the invention is not based on the use of a specific product. However, in the tests carried out so far, it has been shown that simple suspensions of graphite in a polymer matrix give very good results in light of the considerable simplicity and low cost nature of the formulation. The process was verified experimentally by comparing the metal plate’s temperatures when exposed to a radiant plate at 800°C with the interposition of one or two boards of fibrous calcium silicate for fire protection (Promatect 100) and a single board coated with a layer of graphite dispersed in a polymer matrix (polyacrylic urethane Esacote PU148).

Possible Applications

• The industrial production of boards, greatly facilitating quality control;
• Use of reactive coatings for fire protection is the control of onsite application (adhesion to the support, coat thickness).

Advantages

Compared to alternative solutions, based on board thickening or integration with insulating mats, the idea proposed here has the following advantages:

• Reduction of the thickness, weight and cost of the fire protection system;
• Reduction in the cost of installation, handling and storage of the boards;