Intumescent

Intumescent
An intumescent is a substance that swells as a result of heat exposure, thus increasing in volume and decreasing in
density. Intumescents are typically used in passive fire protection and, in the U.S., require listing and approval use
and compliance in their installed configurations in order to comply with the law.Wikipedia:Citation needed

Types
Soft char
These intumescents produce a light char, which is a poor conductor of heat, thus retarding heat transfer. Typically,
these materials contain a significant amount of hydrates. As the hydrates are spent, water vapour is released, which
has a cooling effect. Once the water is spent, the insulation characteristics of the char that remains can slow down
heat transfer from the exposed side to the unexposed side of an assembly. Soft char producers are typically used in
thin film intumescents for fireproofing structural steel as well as in firestop pillows. Typically, the expansion
pressure that is created for these products is very low, because the soft carbonaceous char has little substance, which
is beneficial if the aim is to produce a layer of insulation.

Hard char
Harder chars are produced with sodium silicates and graphite. These products are suitable for use in plastic pipe
firestops as well as exterior steel fireproofing. In those applications, it is necessary to produce a more substantial
char capable of exerting quantifiable expansion pressure. In the case of firestops, a melting, burning plastic pipe
must be squeezed together and shut so that there will be no opening for fire to propagate to an otherwise
fire-resistance rated wall or floor assembly. In the case of exterior fireproofing, a hydrocarbon fire must be held off
with quite potentially more kinetic energy than a house fire. Intumescents that produce hard chars are unsuitable for
interior spray fireproofing.

Applications
Intumescents are used to achieve passive fire protection for such applications as firestopping, fireproofing, gasketing
and window casings. Such applications are relevant for buildings, offshore constructions, ships and aircraft.

Problems
Some intumescents are susceptible to environmental influences, such as humidity, which can reduce or negate their
ability to function. In Germany, the Deutsches Institut fr Bautechnik, DIBt,[1] quantifies the ability of intumescents
to stand the test of time against various environmental exposures. DIBt-approved firestops and fireproofing materials
are available in Canada and the U.S.

Intumescent

Gallery

Low pressure intumescent resin:

This product is suitable for use in
passive fire protection in general,
and in firestopping and interior
fireproofing in particular. The
small, orange chunk on the
bottom right is capable of
growing into the large black
object above and to its left. This
type of intumescent is typically
highly endothermic and contains
a considerable amount of
chemically bound water in
hydrates. As this is released, it
cools adjacent materials. Such
intumescents are useful as
ingredients in firestop pillows
and in paints used for
fireproofing purposes. They do
not produce enough expansion
force to be used in plastic pipe
devices, where the intumescent
must squeeze shut a melting
plastic pipe or conduit.

Pipe covered with a

thin-film intumescent
spray fireproofing product
called unitherm. When
the flame from a
blow-torch is applied, the
intumescent sodium
silicate expands, forming
a layer of insulation
which slows down heat
transfer to the pipe
underneath. Hydrates
within the coating give up
their water content,
maintaining a temperature
near the boiling point of
water, 100C. The critical
steel temperature is ca.
540C. Once the water is
spent and enough heat has
gone through the char, the
steel can reach and
exceed its critical
temperature and then lose
its strength. The time this
takes determines the
fire-resistance rating.

In this picture, the flame

has been removed after
the thin-film intumescent
spray fireproofing product
has completely expanded.
Some intumescents
undergo shrinkage shortly
after full expansion has
taken place.

Intumescent gasketing used in

passive fire protection, for
fire door applications.
Typically, such gasketing is
needed to pass positive
pressure furnace testing, a
recent requirement in North
America.

Intumescent

Intumescent putty,
permanently pliable,
used in a cable
penetration firestop.
These putties are
similar in
consistency to the
play-dough used as
children's toys.
Putties of this nature
also lend themselves
to use as pads
covering electrical
outlet boxes inside
drywall assemblies
required to have a
fire-resistance rating.
The endothermic and
insulative action of
the pads reduce
thermal transfer
through the metallic
outlet box to the
unexposed side of
the rated drywall
assembly.

A passive fire
protection example
of an intumescent
with strong
expansion pressure.
This intumescent is
called Palusol. It is
based on
waterproofed
sodium silicate.
Another
high-expansion
intumescent popular
for use in plastic
pipe firestop devices
is graphite. Graphite
tends to be less
affected by
atmospheric
conditions than
many water-bearing
intumescents.

Construction of a test sample

consisting of a mock-up concrete
floor frame, complete with penetrants.
The concrete frame measures
approximately 5 x 9 x 4" (ca. 1.5m x
2.3m x 10cm). It has a large hole in
the centre with many traversing
mechanical and electrical services.
The penetrants extend 1 (30cm) into
the furnace and 3 (91cm) on the
unexposed side. A firestop mortar is
being applied here. Notice the
intumescent wrap strip surrounding
the fibreglass pipe insulation. When
the fire starts, this embedded
intumescent swells to take the place
of the melting insulation. The test was
conducted in accordance with the
Canadian firestop test method ULC in
Scarborough, Ontario.
UNIQ-ref-0-f70ee2317a983f47-QINU

References
[1] DIBt is a state-level authority concerned with technical matters related to construction (building regulations, design, testing, certification,
safety, building equipment, approvals, etc. See DIBt - Deutsches Institut fr Bautechnik (http:/ / www. dibt. de/ ))

External links
"The proof is in the fire" Chemical Innovation Magazine, American Chemical Society (http://pubs.acs.org/
subscribe/archive/ci/31/i05/html/05hering_new.html)
Article about intumescent materials (http://ahering.webs.com/intumescents.htm)
Translation of DIBt test procedure for intumescent building products (http://ahering.webs.com/dibt.htm)
Translation of DIBt test procedure for reactive spray fireproofing materials (http://ahering.webs.com/dibt2.
htm)
American Chemical Society: Fire Retardancy of Polypropylene Composites Using Intumescent Coatings (http://
pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2009-1013.ch012)
ASTM E 2786 - 2010 Standard Test Methods for Measuring Expansion of Intumescent Materials Used in Firestop
and Joint Systems (http://www.astm.org/Standards/E2786.htm)

Article Sources and Contributors

Article Sources and Contributors

Intumescent Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=607037467 Contributors: Ahering@cogeco.ca, Andrewman327, AnotherBrian, Blotwell, Capricorn42, Comatmebro, Dougher,
EnBob08, Freederick, GS3, Giftlite, Herbert Blenstein, Hohum, Jusjih, Kilmer-san, LorenzoB, M-le-mot-dit, Macdaddy97, Materialscientist, Melchoir, MrBell, Old Moonraker, Pearle,
Postlewaight, Remotelysensed, Rich Farmbrough, Satellizer, SchuminWeb, Seaphoto, Sevesteen, Sfan00 IMG, Shoefly, Sumitr1231, Surajit01, Teda13, Thabick, Thumperward, Woodshed,
Woohookitty, 26 anonymous edits

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:Intumescent.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Intumescent.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Contributors: Achim Hering
Image:Unitherm.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Unitherm.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: Achim Hering
Image:Unitherm2.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Unitherm2.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: Achim Hering
Image:Intumescent_door_gasket.svg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Intumescent_door_gasket.svg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0
Contributors: Int3.jpg: Achim Hering Intumescent_door_gasket.png: *Int3.jpg: Achim Hering derivative work: GS3 at en.wikipedia (Original text: self-made). derivative work: Malyszkz (talk)
Image:Intfirestop.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Intfirestop.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: Achim Hering
Image:Palusolmanschette.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Palusolmanschette.jpg License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 3.0 Contributors: Achim
Hering
Image:Ulc_prueflingsaufbau.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ulc_prueflingsaufbau.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Achim Hering

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