Fire Protection Properties Research Articles

Enhancing the Fire Resistance of Ablative Materials: Role of the Polymeric Matrix and Silicon Carbide Reinforcement.

The primary characteristic of ablative materials is their fire resistance. This study explored the development of cost-effective ablative materials formed into application-specific shapes by using a polymer matrix reinforced with ceramic powder. A thermoplastic (polypropylene; PP) and a thermoset (polyester; UPE) matrix were used to manufacture ablative materials with 50 wt% silicon carbide (SiC) particles. The reference composites (50 wt% SiC) were compared to those with 1 and 3 wt% short glass fibers (0.5 mm length) and to composites using a 1 and 3 wt% glass fiber mesh. Fire resistance was tested using a butane flame (900 °C) and by measuring the transmitted heat with a thermocouple. Results showed that the type of polymer matrix (PP or UPE) did not influence fire resistance. Composites with short glass fibers had a fire-resistance time of 100 s, while those with glass fiber mesh tripled this resistance time. The novelty of this work lies in the exploration of a specific type of material with unique percentages of SiC not previously studied. The aim is to develop a low-cost coating for industrial warehouses that has improved fire-protective properties, maintains lower temperatures, and enhances the wear and impact resistance.

Protective and Comfort Performance of Fire Protective Clothing

The study examined the fire protection performance of several woven products. Given that the comfort and fire protection properties of fire protective clothing (FPC) are opposite, it is important to consider the specific needs of firefighters when selecting the most suitable structure from various plain-woven derivatives, such as plain, basket, and ripstop. The yarn used was Nomex IIIA, which is a type of meta-aramid fibre. To achieve different thread densities, the pick density was adjusted while keeping the end density constant. The physical characteristics, thermal protective performance, thermal resistance, thermal conductivity, water vapour transmission rate and air permeability of all samples were assessed according to the appropriate standards. The goal was to identify the weave structure with the highest performance and the most optimal thread density. The basket weave structure was proposed as a fire protective clothing (FPC) having comfort qualities at a moderate level. Furthermore, increased density provided enhanced fire resistance, however, comfort must be sacrificed. Thus, to achieve a balance between fire protection and comfort, it was recommended to choose a thread density that is of an average level and the suggestion made by this research is to use the fabric as a basket weave design with an ends per inch of approximately 42, it is recommended to retain the pick density within the range of 46 with 44 tex Nomex IIIA yarn. The results of this study may be replicated in other designs using Nomex IIIA and comparable types of cloth and weave specifications.

Construction of organophosphate-functionalized α‑zirconium phosphate towards fire-resistant, weather-resistant and antibacterial reinforcement of transparent fireproof coatings applied on wood substrates

To meet the requirements of fire protection and decorative properties of wood, developing transparent fireproof coatings with excellent comprehensive performance is vital. A new category of organophosphate-grafted α‑zirconium phosphate (α-ZrP) was synthesized as functional flame retardant, then in combination with melamine-formaldehyde resin prepared comprehensive transparent fireproof coatings covering fire protection, smoke suppression, anti-bacteria and weatherability. The results show that adding α-ZrP results in an effective improvement of the mechanical properties, fire protection and smoke suppression under the premise of guaranteeing the high transparency of the coatings. In particular, the MZrPPB3 sample containing a 98:2 mass ratio of phosphate ester to modified α-ZrP possesses 55.2 %, 76.2 % and 23.7 % decrement in flame spread rating, smoke density rating and equilibrium backside temperature at 900 s in comparison with MZrPPB0 sample without α-ZrP, respectively, accompanied by superior adhesion classification of 4B rating and pencil hardness of 2H rating. The efficient fire protection performance of α-ZrP-containing coatings attributes success to the high-quality intumescent char formed by the stable crosslinking and aromatic structures, as confirmed by characterization of FTIR and SEM-EDS analyses. Additionally, adding α-ZrP into the coatings confers them extraordinary weatherability rich in appearance integrity and fire protection performance after accelerated aging test. Meantime, the obtained satisfactory antibacterial property of coatings relates to the presence of α-ZrP with an antibacterial rate of up to 99.0 % for MZrPPB3 against Escherichia coli.

Experimental study of fire exposed expanded polystyrene (EPS) insulation protected by selected coverings

Insulation products made of expanded polystyrene (EPS) are commonly utilized in buildings. However, Norwegian building regulations restrict the use of such combustible insulation due to an increased risk of fire spread and generation of smoke and toxic gases. Installation of fire protection coverings has been adopted as a mitigation strategy to address these safety risks. Notably, the current regulations lack pre-approved solutions describing what is considered an adequate protection of combustible insulation. The present study investigated the fire protection properties of selected coverings used to protect EPS insulation in inner walls. Eight comparative fire tests were conducted using an indicative fire resistance test furnace. The test specimens consisted of EPS blocks mounted on a wooden frame and covered with one or two layers of selected board coverings. The specimens were positioned vertically within the test furnace, and each fire test lasted for 10 or 15 min. Test results revealed that only two configurations consisting of either two layers of 12.5 mm gypsum boards or a combination of 12 mm oriented strand board (OSB) and 12.5 mm gypsum board showed no evidence of damage to the EPS substrate after a 15-min fire exposure. Consequently, the findings suggest that a total covering thickness of at least 24.5 mm, comprising two layers of boards, is necessary to prevent adverse effects on EPS insulation. Furthermore, fire tests conducted on coverings with introduced damages and defects showed that the affected area around the damages and defects were limited. For the standard EPS substrate, this area extended from 28 mm to 90 mm, while for the fire-retardant EPS substrate from 28 mm to 75 mm after a 10-min fire exposure. These results suggest that minor physical failures in the covering have limited impact on the fire safety of the system.

Perceptions and Reuse of Concrete Building Structures

Concrete has gone through significant changes in popularity in the United Kingdom. This paper explores factors associated with shifts in the perception, and reuse of concrete buildings. and how these changes have influenced the use of concrete in Architecture and Design in the UK. The popularity of concrete has fluctuated over the past few decades. This is driven by a combination of cultural, aesthetic and sustainability factors. In the 1980’s and 90’s fairfaced, textured, bush-hammered concrete acquired a reputation which took some three decades to reverse. UK public opinion on concrete ‘Brutalist’ buildings of these decades is mixed, but tends to often be negative, where terms used include ‘Depressing’, ‘Hideous’, ‘Monstrosities’, ‘Eyesores’. There is currently a growing appreciation for the history and cultural significance of concrete and specifically ‘Brutalist’ architecture. Although these buildings were previously despised, they are now recognised as part of the UK’s architectural heritage and efforts are made to preserve them for future generations. Buildings and complexes, which were once run-down urban environments, are now changed into more desirable housing complexes often leading to drastic social changes in the area. Concrete has been generally seen as a material that has significant environmental impact, especially in terms of carbon emissions. Concrete’s durability, thermal mass and fire protection properties paired with advances in technology that can improve the appearance and consistency of finishes, have all improved the popularity of concrete. Strides are also being made to improve the sustainability of concrete constituent materials. The positioning of concrete as a sustainable, energy efficient building material that can also have an aesthetic appeal, combined with its versatility and durability, make concrete once again a popular choice for contemporary architecture and Interior design.

Construction of layered double hydroxide composites derived from tungsten tailing particles for simultaneously enhancing fire protection and anti-ageing properties of intumescent fire-resistant coatings applied in wood surface

Tungsten tailing is a great deal of solid waste produced in the production process of tungsten metal, for which there is no simple and effective treatment method in the world. The success synthesis of layered double hydroxide composites (TTF-LDH) by co-precipitation method from tungsten tailing is a feasible way to solve this problem. The structure and properties of TTF-LDH were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The obtained TTF-LDH was in combination with intumescent flame retardants (IFR) to achieve a series of intumescent fire resistance coatings. The effects of TTF-LDH on the fire protection, smoke suppression and anti-ageing performances of coatings were evaluated by fire resistance test, smoke density test, cone calorimeter test and accelerated ageing test, while the flame-retardant mechanism of TTF-LDH in coatings was revealed. The results illustrate that an appropriate amount of TTF-LDH can remarkably enhance smoke suppression and fire-resistant abilities of coatings, among which the coating containing 3 wt % TTF-LDH (IFRC-LDH3) exhibits the optimal synergistic effect, revealing a smoke density rating value of 17.3%, a total heat release of 7.0 MJ/m2 and an equilibrium backside temperature of 146.2 °C at 900 s. Meanwhile, the addition of TTF-LDH can strengthen the char formation and thermal stability abilities of the coatings, and the residual weight of IFRC-LDH3 rises to 35.7% at 800 °C, as supported by thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The results of accelerated ageing test demonstrate that the presence of TTF-LDH can strengthen structural stability of coating, decrease migration and decomposition of IFR, thus giving the coating better integrity and durability of fire-resistant and smoke suppression properties.

Modification of Cellulosic Materials with Boron-Nitrogen Compounds

Wood fiber and its products are modified to increase fire and bio-resistance. The best results are achieved by using modifiers that enter into chemical interaction with the hydroxylated substrate, forming the organic matrix of the materials. The purpose of the research described in the article was to study the possibility of using boron-nitrogen compounds to modify cellulose and cellulose-containing materials to improve the performance, bio- and fire-protective properties of construction materials, as well as to optimize the consumption of boron-nitrogen compounds. As a result of the research, it was found that the boron-nitrogen compounds used in the compositions developed here chemically interact with hydroxyl groups at the C6-atom of cellulose. The chemical interaction of boron-nitrogen compounds with cellulose is an inter-crystalline process occurring without destruction of the crystal structure of the substrate since the modifier molecules bind with the more accessible hydroxyl groups of the amorphous regions of cellulose. Thus, surface modification with boron-nitrogen compounds does not result in accelerated aging of cellulose-containing materials and loss of strength but, on the contrary, increases the durability of wooden structures.

Impact of Accelerated Weathering on Fire Resistance Performance of Intumescent Materials

The fire resistance performance of intumescent fireproofing materials for steel structure changes with time, as a result of exposure to environmental conditions especially temperature. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of environmental conditions on fire protection properties (fire performance and char formation) of intumescent coating materials by using accelerated weathering technique. In this study a group of eight steel plates were coated with intumescent fireproofing of the same dry film thickness (DFT), the prepared samples were devided into two supgroups in which every supgroup of four specimens was exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UV) of wavelength (340 nm) for 0, 3, 6 and 9 years. The all intumescent coated samples were exposed to fire resistance tests in accordance with International test standard to evaluate their fire resistance performance. The formed char layers were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results revealed insignificant change in the fire resistance for the 3 years aged samples. Increasing the accelerating aging over 3 years led to remarkable degradation of fire resistance. The SEM analysis revealed various foaming efficiencies as function of the exposure time.

Effect of Phosphorus and Chlorine Containing Plasticizers on the Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties of Epoxy Composites

The possibility of using tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate, tris(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate and tris(4-methylphenyl) phosphate as effective plasticizers for epoxy polymers has been studied. As a result of the research the optimum content of plasticizers (40 parts by mass) has been determined, which has the best effect on the strength and fire safety properties of epoxy composites. Modification of the epoxy polymer with presented plasticizers influences carbonization process increasing char yield and reducing the amount of volatile thermolysis products released into the gas phase, thus improving fire safety parameters of epoxy composites, reducing mass loss on ignition in air from 78 to 2–9% and increasing limiting oxygen index (LOI) values from 19 to 25–31% by volume, giving good fire protective properties to epoxy composites (UL-94 rating—V-0/V-1). The thermo-protective properties and the structure of the char formed by polymer combustion have been studied and the correlation between the thermo-protective properties of the char and the combustibility of the composite has been determined. Furthermore, the behaviour of the modified composite during high rate pyrolysis has been analyzed.

Design and fabrication of metal-organic-framework based coatings for high fire safety and UV protection, reinforcement and electrical conductivity properties of textile fabrics

Rational design and fabrication of multifunctional textile fabrics coatings were developed. The green coatings were facilely prepared from metal-organic-framework UiO-66 as porous crystalline framework which was easily decorated with green spherical polypyrrole nanoparticles of an average size of 165 nm and then wrapped with chitosan chains. The nanocomposites were synthesized in one-step method with the aid of cost-effective ultrasonication method to facilitate the individualization of polypyrrole nanoparticles and their decoration on UiO-66 surface. The as developed coating was then coated on cotton fabrics. The structure and crystalline structure of UiO-66 were elucidated, also the structure and morphological properties of polypyrrole nanoparticles were studied using FT-IR, XRD and SEM. The mass loadings of UiO-66 and polypyrrole nanoparticles were varied and their influence was studied. The flammability, thermal stability, mechanical properties, UV protection and electrical conductivity of coated textiles were studied. The newly developed multifunctional coating affords high flame retardancy to coated cotton fabrics achieving reduction in rate of burning by 54 % compared to uncoated sample. Significant thermal stability was attained recording 23 °C increase in temperature of maximum mass loss. Besides, the tensile strength of coated sample achieved 29 % improvement compared to uncoated one. Moreover, outstanding UV protection feature for coated cotton fabrics was obtained recording more than two-fold enhancement in ultraviolet protection factor compared to pristine sample. Interestingly, the smart coating layer fabricated on cotton fabrics impregnated the fabrics with electrical conductivity property recording electrical resistance of 2 MΩ compared to 45 MΩ for pristine fabrics. Additionally, the flame retardancy action was fully studied and elucidated.

Effect of metal fire retardants on fire resistance and operational characteristics of intumescent fire-protective coating for wood

Fire-protective properties for wood (according to GOST 16363) and hiding power (according to ISO 6504-3) were tested for eighteen samples of intumescent coatings with various combinations and ratios of metal-containing fire-retardant additives in order to distinguish the optimal metal fire retardant for future use in designing the formulation and technological scheme for production of intumescent fire-protective coating with enhanced operational characteristics.

Composites based on ABS plastic filled with corundum microspheres

The effect of the content and fractional diameter of hollow corundum microspheres on the thermal and fire resistance of a filament based on ABS plastic is studied. It is shown that the modification of the surface of microspheres with organophosphorus compounds increases their fire and heat protection properties compared to unmodified ones while maintaining strength characteristics. Keywords: ABS plastic, filament, modification, dicyandiamide, phosphorus-boron-containing monomer, corundum microspheres. vg.kochetkov@mail.ru

Effect of Expandable Graphite Flakes on the Flame Resistance of Oak Wood

One of the strategies to improve the fire resistance of wood is to use flame retardants. It would be best to find an ecological, nonhalogenated flame retardant to improve the fire protection properties. In this work, oak wood (Quercus robur L.) samples were treated with an aqueous solution of sodium silicate and expandable graphite flakes, which were applied to different parts of the samples: only on the top, on the sides and together on the top and sides of samples. The fire characteristics of samples were studied by a non-standard test method—a radiant heat source test which is used to determine the mass loss and ignition time of the tested samples (50 mm × 40 mm × 10 mm), and the measurement was carried out using a visual recording of a thermal camera. The results of the laboratory test method showed a significant positive effect of the application of the retardant treated only on the top and together on the top and the sides of the samples in terms of decreasing the mass loss and the course of temperature. When we treated only the sides of the sample, the results were closer to the untreated samples, so there was more than 80% weight loss and a significant temperature increase. The results demonstrated that the appropriate modification of the wood using sodium silicate and expandable graphite flakes has the potential to reduce the loss of mass by 79% and reduce the rise in temperature on the surface of the sample.

The Compressive Properties and Deformation Mechanism of Closed-Cell Aluminum Foam with High Porosity after High-Temperature Treatment

As a new type of structurally functional material, aluminum foam is widely used in civil engineering due to its excellent noise and energy reduction, thermal insulation, and fire protection properties. However, systematic research into the mechanical properties, application technology, and specification standards of aluminum foam materials in civil engineering application scenarios is lacking. In this work, a special experimental study on the mechanical properties and deformation mechanism of closed-cell aluminum foam materials in compression after fire was carried out. The mechanism of deformation and failure of closed-cell aluminum foam was revealed, and the variation in the mechanical properties of closed-cell aluminum foam with porosity, and heating temperature were investigated. On the basis of the experimental results, the correlation function between material parameters and material porosity in the Liu–Subhash constitutive model was established through multiparameter regression analysis. Then, an intrinsic structure model of aluminum foam that can consider porosity was proposed. The research results show that (1) the compression deformation process of closed-cell aluminum foam specimens exhibits significant stage characteristics: a quasi-elastic stage of quasi-elastic deformation of the matrix and cell structure → a plateau stage of cell structure destabilization and damage → a densification stage of cell collapse and stacking. (2) As the porosity decreases, the aluminum foam material becomes more resistant to compressive deformation and shows better compressive mechanical properties overall. With an increase in the heat treatment temperature, the elastic gradient, compressive proof strength, and plateau stress of the aluminum foam material show a small decrease in the overall trend. (3) The predicted values of the intrinsic structure model of closed-cell aluminum foam are in good agreement with the experimental results, indicating that the model can efficiently characterize the stress–strain process of the material and is referable.

The Impact of β-Radiation Crosslinking on Flammability Properties of PA6 Modified by Commercially Available Flame-Retardant Additives.

A comparative study was conducted investigating the influence of β-radiation crosslinking (β-RC) on the fire behavior of flame retardant-modified polyamide 6 (PA6). In order to provide a comprehensive overview, a variety of commercially available flame-retardant additives were investigated, exhibiting different flame retarding actions such as delusion, char formation, intumescence and flame poisoning. This study focused on the identification of differences in the influence of β-RC on fire behavior. Coupled thermal gravimetrical analysis (TGA) and Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to conduct changes within the decomposition processes. Dynamic thermal analysis (DTA) was used to identify structural stability limits and fire testing was conducted using the limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical UL-94 and cone calorimeter testing. Crosslinking was found to substantially change the fire behavior observed, whereas the observed phenomena were exclusively physical for the given formulations studied: warpage, char residue destruction and anti-dripping. Despite these phenomena being observed for all β-RC formulations, the impact on fire resistivity properties were found to be very different. However, the overall fire protection properties measured in UL-94 fire tests were found to deteriorate for β-RC formulations. Only β-RC formulations based on PA6/EG were found to achieve a UL-94 V0 classification.

Fabrication of talc reinforced transparent fire-retardant coating towards excellent fire protection, antibacterial, mechanical and anti-ageing properties

To enhance the fire safety of historic buildings, developing fire-retardant coatings with integrated decoration, fire protection, ageing resistance and antibacterial performances is imperative. Here, a novel multifunctional transparent fire-retardant coating with fire protection, smoke suppression, antibacterial and anti-ageing functions was successfully fabricated using talc as a multifunctional synergist. Mechanical tests show that the multifunctional coating containing talc shows an improvement in pencil hardness and adhesion classification while keeping a high transparency. Moreover, adding talc is conductive to fabricate a physical barrier with super compactness and intumescence, which endows the coatings with excellent fire protection and smoke suppression functions. Especially, when the mass ratio of PPB to talc is 95:5, the obtained MTPPB3 coating retains a high-level transparency of 85.8%, accompanying with a 72.6% reduction in flame spread rating and a 57.0% reduction in smoke density rating compared to MTPPB0 without talc. TG analysis shows that the multifunctional coatings containing talc exhibit sharp enhancements in thermal stability and char yield, and MTPPB3 retains 32.7% residue at 800 °C. Meanwhile, the addition of talc results in high antibacterial rate against E. coli bacteria and durable flame-retardant and smoke suppression effects, and MTPPB3 shows an antibacterial rate of 99.0% against E. coli bacteria. This work provides a promising way to fabricate multifunctional transparent fire-retarded coatings with outstanding functions of decoration and fire protection.

Effects of inorganic fillers on the performance of the water‐based intumescent fire‐retardant coating

SummaryThe purpose of this research was to evaluate the influences of filler type and its content on the performance of a water‐based intumescent fire‐retardant coating. Three fillers (vermiculite, celite, and aluminum hydroxide) were added to the intumescent paint formulation. The thermal and fire protective properties were studied with thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), torch test, electrical furnace, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared analysis (FTIR). The results showed that adding fillers into coatings up to 3% could improve the intumescent coating's behavior and increase its endurance against flames. Of the three fillers used, vermiculite showed a better performance in the torch test, attributed to its chemical and physical structure. Vermiculite has low thermal conductivity and is considered an appropriate filler for heat‐insulation. The final back‐plate temperatures in the torch test for the vermiculite‐containing samples were around 100°C–150°C lower than that of other samples. Moreover, vermiculite's addition improved the coating's expansion by 10% compared with the control sample's. The vermiculite sample's char layer morphology showed a uniform cell size distribution, indicating structural robustness. The coating samples successfully transformed polypropylene flammability from highly flammable to V0 level in the UL 94 vertical burning test standard. The results showed that vermiculite could improve intumescent paint's fire resistance and be used as an enhancer in intumescent coating formulations.

A revival in façades: Textile reinforced concrete panels are light, safe and aesthetically pleasing

Textile reinforced concrete was developed in recent years into a construction technique that has its benefits and advantages in applications where conventional types of reinforcement have their limits. The current, minimum slab thickness for steel-reinforced concrete façade slabs is 7.0 cm; this is due to the minimum, required concrete cover to ensure adequate corrosion protection. Façade slab anchors for these slab thicknesses are building authority approved. As corrosion protection is not an issue for textile reinforced concrete, the minimum thickness for the concrete cover can be significantly reduced. The requirement for component thickness is now determined by the load-bearing capacity and by production-related boundary conditions. For practical building reasons, panel thicknesses of 3.0 cm have proven to be the best choice. Compared to steel-reinforced façade panels, this is a weight and thickness reduction of almost 60%. Thin concrete elements are of great interest in cases when the thickness or the weight of the panels is largely limited e.g. because of adjoining concrete elements in renovation or upgrade projects, retrofitting or improvements. Compared to other building materials, concrete has characteristic advantages in building physics and fire protection properties, irrespective of the thickness. Obviously, minimal thicknesses place extra demands on planning and construction. Especially effects on concrete, punching, splitting and concrete breakout must be examined in experiments. This is an overview of calculation and test methods. Results are provided to show the bearing behaviour of fixings in thin, textile reinforced concrete slabs. The design rules are explained and the results are illustrated.

ПОРІВНЯННЯ ПОЛІОЛІВ ЯК КАРБОНІЗУЮЧИХ АГЕНТІВ ВОГНЕЗАХИСНИХ КОМПОЗИЦІЙ ІНТУМЕСЦЕНТНОГО ТИПУ

Purpose. To study the influence of the carbonizing agent structure on the formation of thermal insulating char layer of intumescent system acid donor/polyol and on the fire protection efficiency of the system at high temperatures. Methodology. A fire retardant mixture of an acid donor (phosphates ammonium, urea, melamine)/ polyol was chosen as a model intumescent system. Dispersion of vinyl acetate copolymer with ethylene was used as a polymeric component. The study applied the characteristics of the char layer of the intumescent composition at a certain temperature. The volumetric intumescent coefficient (K, cm3/g), mass of char residue (m, %), structure and density of the char layer are proposed as the main estimated parameters of flame retardant effect. IR spectroscopy was used to identify products of thermolysis of intumescent systems. Determination of fire protection efficiency of intumescent coatings was carried out in a mini-oven under standard fire conditions. Findings. The influence of polyol structure on the formation of thermal insulating char layer of intumescent acid donor/polyol system and the prediction of fire protection efficiency of this system under high temperature conditions has been investigated. It has been shown that under conditions of thermal shock the fire protection efficiency is more dependent on the nucleophilic reactivity of the polyol towards the unsaturated phosphorus atom of the acid donor than on its thermal stability. It has been found that pentaerythritol, dipentaerythritol, starch, dextrin, xylitol and sorbitol are the most effective carbonizing agents, regardless of the structure of the acid donor. It has been proved by infrared spectroscopy that at high temperatures as a result of the decomposition of pentaerythritol one of the reaction products is the aldehydes interacting with pentaerythritol with the formation of oligomeric compounds with a simple ether bond C-O-C. At the same time, pentaerythritol can be considered as a universal source of carbon framework for intumescent flame retardants regardless of the phosphate structure used. Originality. It has been shown that an important factor to increase the fire protection efficiency of intumescent systems is the use of polyols with an increased nucleophilicity in the esterification between polyol and phosphoric acid.Practical value. The optimal polyols as carbonizing agents for formulation of intumescent coatings with enhanced fire protection properties have been determined.

Characterization and fire protection properties of rubberwood biomass ash formulated intumescent coatings for steel

Rubberwood biomass ash (RWA), which was derived from the combustion of rubberwood biomass in a fuel factory, was obtained for reuse as a natural mineral filler substitute in water-based intumescent coatings. The specific surface area of the RWA was 3.10 m 2 /g, with the particle's surface areas predominant composed of mesopores, which was justified using the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller Test (BET). Rubberwood ash coatings (RWAC) formulated with 3.0 wt% RWA exerted the most homogenous and durable surface matrix in the Accelerating Weathering Test (AWT). Fire-resistant test (FRT) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) demonstrated the incorporation of the RWA with the intumescent flame-retardant formulation, generated positive effects in equilibrium end temperature, thermal decomposition, and weight loss reductions. These effects are most prominent in the RWAC-3, which was comprised of 3 wt% RWA, and 50/40/7 wt% vinyl acetate (VA)/intumescent flame retardant additive (IFRA)/pigment. The RWAC-3 showed the lowest equilibrium end temperature at 131.4 °C, the lowest thermal degradation at 71 wt%, and the highest carbonaceous char formation at 12.8 mm. The Surface Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) results exhibited a dense, compact, and coherent char formation for the RWAC-3 sample. The abundant O and P crosslinking structures in the RWAC-3 contributed to the quality of the char barrier. These results are supported by the evidence from Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-Ray Diffractometer (XRD), which revealed the stretching of the O–H, P–O–C, and P O molecular functional groups, and the presence of thermally stable phosphate compounds in the RWAC-3.