These coatings retard the spread of flames and reduce heat penetration through intumescent technologies. Flame Control Flame Retardant coatings should be applied when it is necessary or desirous to reduce the flammability of combustible surfaces.

1. A
SEMINAR REPORT
ON
FIRE RETARDANT COATINGS
Presented By
DEWANSH JAISWAL
[SR NO.-433/14]
[III B.TECH. CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY]
Under The Supervision Of
Dr. P.K. KAMANI
Mr. GHANSHYAM
Mr. M.I.KHAN
Mr. SUNIL MEHROTRA
SUBMITTED IN
DEPT. OF PAINT TECHNOLOGY
HARCOURT BUTLER TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
KANPUR-208002
SESSION:2016-17

2. CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that MR. DEWANSH JAISWAL, D/O Mr. HEM
RAJ JAISWAL, student of III B.tech, Chemical Tech. (Paint
Technology) Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur, U.P.T.U.
Roll No. 140458560221 has successfully completed his presentation
on the topic “FIRE RETARDANT COATINGS” on
Date 03/02/2017
We wish her all success in her future endeavor.
Dr. P.K.Kamani
Mr. Ghanshyam
Mr. M.I. Khan
Mr. Sunil Mehrotra

3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It gives me great pleasure to be able to show my appreciation and
gratitude in a very small way to all those who have helped me and
inspired me over the years.
Foremost I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my
supervisors Dr. P.K Kamani, Mr. Ghanshyam, Mr. Sunil Mehrotra
and Mr. M.I.Khan for their continuous support during my
presentation, by way of their patience, motivation, enthusiasm and
immense knowledge.
I am also indebted to Prof. M.Z. Khan, Honorable Vice Chancellor
H.B.T.U. Kanpur, for his full support as and when required in
preparation of seminar report and in presentation.
I would like to thank the rest of faculty of the department: Prof.
R.K.Trivedi, Prof Pramod Kumar and Prof. Arun Maithani, for their
kind help and cooperation rendered during the course of present
study.
I would like to thank my friends and colleagues who helped me
directly or indirectly in preparation and presentation of report.
Last but not the least; I am infinitely grateful to God for giving me
strength.
Name: Dewansh Jaiswal
Branch: III B.Tech. Paint Technology
Sr.No.: 433/14

4. INDEX
Sr.No. TOPIC PAGE No.
1 Introduction 1
2 Main components for fire retardant
coatings
2-8
3 Fire Retardant Mechanism 9-10
4 Intumescent Coatings 10-15
5 Uses of fire retardant &intumescent
coatings.
16-17
6
Finishes Available
17
7 Benefits At Glance 18-19
8 Cleaning, maintenance and repair 21-22
9 Product selection and film thickness 22-23
10
Future trends & market insight
23-25
11
Conclusion
25
12
Reference
26

5. FIRE RETARDANT
COATINGS
INTRODUCTION
Fire Retardant Coating (FRC) components have been studied and optimized in this work.
Main components of FRC include; Polyammoniumphosphate, Pentaerythritol and Melamine.
The results of thermal analysis indicate that decomposition of main components occur in the
220 to 790 C temperature range. Thermal reactions of Penta-erythritol starts at lower
temperatures followed by melamine undergoing structural changes around 250 oC.
Polyammoniumphosphate show no weight reduction below 290ºC. In addition to the main
components there is a specific plasticizer in fire retardant formulation to improve properties
of the coal layer. Beyond 500 oC only carbon in the form of coal remains.
Since fire retardant coatings, after application change the dimensions of a substrate only
slightly, they are among excellent methods to protect surfaces made from metal, wood,
polymers and textile products. In masonry industry, it is very important to protect steal
structures. Nearly, 7 to 8 minutes from onset of fire the temperature of steel structure reaches
550ºC and may bend under structural loads. This in turn may heavily cause loss of lives and
financial damages.
Inflatable coatings following a fire break out provide an insulating foam layer on steal
substrate. Therefore, causing delay in steel structures to approach rupture temperature. The
foam thickness changes as coating formulation changes and is directly affected by the
thickness of initial coating. The thickness of coating in turn, is determined by considering the
assembly of steel structure, the distance between fire station and the structure and the degree
of fire protection. Halogen compounds in fire retardants decompose and release halogens to
extinguish fire.

6. Main component of fire retardant coatings
There are three main components for fire retardant coatings:
1) Polyammonium phosphate: acid source production
2) Pentaerythritol: Source of Carbon,
3) Melamine: Blowing agent or diluent,
Overall following reactiontakes place:
For the formulation of FIRE RETARDANT COATINGS we have analyze the
thermal behavior of each and every component.
For this we do Gravimetric Thermal analysis for each components.
POLYAMMONIUM PHOSPHATE
Following reaction takes Place during thermal application.
Polyammonium phosphate changes its structure above 250 °C as shown below.

7. (NH4PO3) n (HPO3)n
Gravimetric Thermal analysis of polyamonium phosphate is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1: TGA spectrum of Polyammonium phosphate sample.
According to this figure, there is no weight reduction of the compound just below 290 ºC.
Between 290-500 ºC temperature range there is 16% weight reduction that is owing to the
release of ammonia and water vapor. In 500-700 ºC temperature range the plot shows 81%
reduction in weight. This is corresponding to the release of phosphoric acid, polyphosphoric
acid and poly-metaphosphoric acid. At 790ºC weight reduction approaches 88%; it's because
of phosphoric salt production.
>250 °C
-n NH3

8. PENTAERYTHRITOL:
Pentaerythritol undergoes dimerization reaction upon heating reaction upon heating.
Figure 2: Dimerization of pentaerythritol proceeds at the onset of heating starts.
Gravimetric Thermal analysis of pentaerythritol is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: TGA spectrum of pentaerythritol powder sample.
Thermal analysis of Pentaerythritol powder sample is shown in Figure 3. At 220ºC the
compound undergoes structural changes and loses weight sharply. Reaction terminates at
300ºC. The reduction in weight begins with loss of water molecules in the form of hydrated.
Accordingly, dehydrogenation will become dominant to form coal layer.

9. MELAMINE:
Thermal analysis of melamine is shown in Figure 4. At 250ºC melamine sample undergoes
structural changes and as temperature approaches 350ºC the compound loses weight sharply.
This is owing to the release of ammonia as blowing agent causing dilution of oxygen and
building up coal phase with microscopic porosity just under the upper layers.
Following reaction takes place during heating of Melamine:
Figure 4: TGA spectrum of melamine sample.
In addition to the main components there is a specific plasticizer in fire retardant formulation
to improve properties of the coal layer. It is recommended to optimize plasticizer to one-third
of the weight of melamine in the formulation. There are various resins including; water
based, epoxy and one component thermoplasts applicable in the formulation.

10. Figure 5: TGA spectrum of plasticizer sample.
According to this figure, in the 234-381 ºC temperature range there is a sharp trend of change
in molecular structure which results in weight reduction of the sample by means of emitting
carbon dioxide gas. In the 381-500 ºC temperature range the C-Cl bond breaks down and tiny
cells of coal in the shape of foam are being formed. Beyond 500 ºC hydrogen chloride gas is
released and only carbon in the form of coal remains.
Formulation of Fire-Retardant Paints:
In the event of fire, the paint may catch fire, melt, drip, and cause severe injury and damage
to the vessel. Coatings are therefore formulated that do not sustain combustion; they should
not spread the flame by rapid combustion nor contribute a significant amount of fuel to the
fire. Polyvinyl chloride containing 57% by weight chlorine is self-extinguishing. However, it
is not a good vehicle for a flame-retardant coating because of its high melting point. This can
be lowered substantially by copolymerization with other vinyl monomers such as vinyl
acetate.

11. Table 1: Formulation for a Fire-Retardant Latex Paint
Table 2: Formulation for an Alkyd-Based Paint
To make these copolymers useful, addition of plasticizers and coalescing solvents is often
necessary to give suitable application and performance properties. These additions dilute the
overall concentration of chlorine thereby reducing the flame retardancy. Fire-retardant
coatings are based primarily on chlorinated alkyds, alumina trihydrate, or a combination of
chlorinated paraffins and antimony trioxide. Flame spread test results depend both on the
substrate and the thickness of the film.
Composition and Ingredients:
Several layers for perfect protection:
Fire protection coatings consist of two or three perfectly mutually coordinated layers. The
products required for a fire protection system are set out in the relevant German Technical
Approval, the European Technical Approval (ETA) or the approval in the individual case
concerned.

12. 1) Primer
The primer serves mainly the purpose of corrosion protection while at the same time
acting as a tie coat for the intumescent paint.
2) Intumescent layer
The intumescent layer forms the core of the coating system. The paint applied here
guarantees the long-term bearing capacity of the structural component in case of fire. The
necessary film thickness depends on the type and load capacity of the structural
component and the fire resistance period required.
3) Topcoat
The topcoat finally applied serves the purpose of colouring and the protection of the
intumescent layer against weathering and mechanical stress. On request, a two-layer
system can be selected for interior areas, in the case of which no topcoat is applied.
Ingredients:
Fire protection coatings comprise solvent-free, solvent-based or water-based coating
materials. The last-mentioned type is used primarily for interior areas with enhanced air-
quality requirements. Thermoplastic, organic systems are used as binders – as a rule based on
vinyl acetates, acrylics or epoxies. Active substances are added to these which react to form
an insulating “carbonaceous char” when exposed to fire. The colouring, notably that of the
topcoat, is achieved via added pigments.

13. Fire-RetardationMechanism:
The combustion of gaseous fuel is believed to proceed by a free radical mechanism:
The H, OH, and O radicals are chain carriers and take part in a number of reactions in the
flame zone. The function of halogen containing compounds as flame retardants has been
explained by the radical trap theory and takes place in the gas phase. In the foregoing
reactions, liberated HCI or HBr competes for the radical species that are critical for flame
propagation:
The active chain carriers are replaced with the much less active halogen radical, slowing the
rate of energy production and helping flame extinguishments.

14. Antimony oxide is known as a flame-retardant synergist when used in combination with
halogen compounds. Volatile antimony oxyhalide (SbOX) and/or antimony trihalide (SbX)
form in the condensed phase and transport the halogen into the gas phase. Phosphorus
compounds are also used as primary flame retardants. The flame-retardant mechanism for
phosphorus compounds varies with the type of compound, the polymer, and the combustion
conditions.
For example, some phosphorus compounds decompose to phosphoric acids and
polyphosphates.
A viscous surface glass forms and shields the substrate from the flame. If the phosphoric acid
reacts with the polymer (e.g., to form a phosphate ester), subsequent decomposition results in
a dense surface char. The coatings that form serve as a physical barrier to heat transfer from
the flame to the substrate and to diffusion of gases; in other words, the substrate is isolated
from heat, flame, and oxygen.
This is the mechanism for fire-resistive intumescent coatings discussed below. Triaryl
phosphate esters are thermally stable, high boiling (>350°C) materials. They can volatilize
without significant decomposition into the flame zone, where they decompose. Flame
inhibition reactions, similar to the halogen radical trap theory, have been proposed.
Alumina trihydrate (ATH) or magnesium hydroxide inhibits ignition by absorption of heat
due to decomposition, releasing large volumes of water of hydration (>30%).
INTUMESCENT COATINGS:
These coatings work by swelling up in the event of fire and physically creating a barrier
between the steel and the fire for up three hours.

15. Steel loses its structural strength at about 500 C and these coatings can delay the time it takes
to reach this temperature.
Intumescents are often referred to as thin-film or thick-film coatings. Thin-film intumescents
can be solvent- or water-based products and have dry film thicknesses (DFTs) of less than 5
millimeters. Thick-film coatings are typically solvent-free, epoxy-based with DFTs of up to
25 millimeters. Thickfilm epoxies can also be used to form castings, typically in two
halfshells to protect narrow diameter pipework where spraying would create large volumes of
overspray.
How Do Intumescent Coatings Work?
Intumescent coatings react to fire by expanding to form a carbon “char” with low thermal
conductivity, which essentially forms an insulating layer reducing the rate of heat transfer and
extending the time necessary to reach the critical failure temperature of the underlying steel.
It’s a complex chemistry incorporating the organic (coating) binder resin — typically an
epoxy — and an acid catalyst, for example ammonium polyphosphate, which decomposes to
yield a mineral acid. This acid reacts with a carbonific source, for example, pentaerythritol, to
produce a carbon char. A spumific (foamproducing) agent, such as melamine, reacts with the
acid source and decomposes, evolving into an inert gas which then expands the char. These
are the basic reactions taking place, although more complex interactions also occur. For
example, filler particles are incorporated into the formulation to act as nucleating sites or
“bubble growth” sites and the resin binder plays a large part in softening and charring.
Reinforcing mesh can be used to support the formed char.
Development of a protective intumescent layer:
When exposed to fire, the intumescent paint expands at temperatures of between 120 and 200
°C, increases significantly in volume to form a stable, fine-pore, carbonaceous char. This
process is called intumescence.
Due to its very low thermal conductivity, the carbonaceous char insulates the structural
component such that the latter heats up more slowly and the period up to the attainment of the
critical temperature (Tcrit) of approx. 500 to 750 °C is extended.
The main product of the impact of temperature is an inorganic layer of titanium phosphates
which also has very low thermal conductivity.
Carbon dioxide and water are generated as by-products. Additionally, minimal quantities of
ammonia, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides are released in case of fire. Thanks to their
very low concentrations, they can however be considered negligible as compared with the
reaction products of the actual fire loads and do not constitute a threat to the environment or
health.

16. To ensure that the intumescent paint is able to achieve its full efficacy in an emergency, the
adjacent structural components may not hinder expansion. In order to avoid any thermal
transfer, adjacent steel structures without a fire rating should likewise be coated over a length
set out in DIN 4102 (min. 30 cm).
Cellulosic vs. Hydrocarbon Fires:
A cellulosic fire has a fuel source composed mainly of cellulose — for example, wood,
cardboard or paper. Hydrocarbon fires are fueled by hydrocarbon compounds and ignite and
grow exceedingly fast, achieving high temperature almost immediately after ignition, greater
than 1,000 C in less than five minutes . Cellulosic fires are slower to reach maximum
temperature but may eventually reach or surpass the temperature of a hydrocarbon fire.

17. Hydrocarbon fires can reach temperatures higher than 1,000 C in less than five minutes . A
pool (hydrocarbon) fire is defined as a turbulent diffusion fire burning above a horizontal
pool of vaporizing hydrocarbon fuel where the fuel has zero or low initial momentum. A jet
fire is a turbulent diffusion fire resulting from the combustion of a fuel continuously released
with high pressure. Testing Intumescent Coatings No two fires are the same. The conditions
depend on the type and quantity of fuel, the availability of oxygen and ambient conditions.
For reproducible product testing in the U.K. “standard” fires have been defined. British
Standards BS 476 (parts 20 and 21) “Fire tests on building materials and structures” and EN
13381 (part 8), “Test methods for determining the contribution to the fire resistance of
structural members” describe how intumescent coatings are tested with cellulosic fire
exposure. Performance depends on coating thicknesses, the types of steel section, I sections,
hollow sections and the section orientation, i.e., beam or column.
Ensuring Durability:
To protect steel in a fire a coating must be resistant to the environment and be intact at the
time of the fire. Poor durability can lead to ineffective fire protection resulting in structural
failure during a fire and expensive restoration afterwards. Poor durability can also lead to
corrosion of the substrate, compromising structural integrity. To ensure durability of
intumescent coatings the key ingredients — ammonium polyphosphate, melamine and
pentaerythritol — are all sensitive to moisture and must be formulated carefully. Different
resins are used to formulate intumescent coatings for different applications. Water-based
acrylic materials are formulated for use in mainly dry, internal locations. Solvent-based
acrylic materials are used to formulate intumescent coatings for use in internal or sheltered
external locations. Solvent-based or solvent-free epoxy materials are used to formulate
intumescents that can be used in any location. These resins have different weathering
performance, and therefore, protection capabilities. To test the durability of an intumescent
coating, standard coating test procedures are used such as NORSOK M 501, “Surface
preparation and protective coating,” Underwriters Laboratory, UL 1709, “Rapid Rise Fire

18. Tests of Protection Materials for Structural Steel” and European Technical Approval
Guidance, ETAG 18-2, “Reactive Coatings for Fire Protection of Steel Elements.” In
addition, the intumescent coating should not spall or crack in use, be resistant to atmospheric
and chemical attack and be recoatable with itself — even after prolonged curing. There
should also be excellent bonding between substrate, primers and the intumescent to combat
the problems of under-film corrosion.
Specifying Fire Protection:
Firstly, the item to be protected must be identified, whether it is structural steel, vessels or
divisions such as fire-resistant bulkheads or decks on ships. The general rule is, the thicker
the coating, the longer the protection – up to a limit. The thickness of the intumescent used
will depend on the weight and type of the steel member being protected. As the weight of
steel decreases, the thickness of the intumescent should increase. Lightweight steel sections
will heat up faster than heavier sections and will therefore need more protection for a given
time. Rather than just figuring the weight of the steel, specific calculations must be made in
order to determine the appropriate thickness of the coating, taking into consideration the
shape or shapes of the steel and accounting for any cutouts or irregularities in the beams The
critical steel temperature which must be protected against should be defined — for example,
structural steel between 200 and 750 C, vessels between 200 and 350 C, or a 140 C
temperature rise for divisions where the critical temperature requirement is much lower to
protect personnel on the other side of the division or in a safety refuge.
Merits of Intumescent Paints and Coatings:
1) Intumescent coatings prolong the structural life of steel. As protected steel is less
exposed to frequent temperature variations, its load bearing capacity also increases.
2) The coatings can be applied off-site as well as on-location. Off-site fireproofing
means there is enough time for workers to fit, erect, and adjust their structural
components. Faster and easier construction, reduced on-site activities, and ease of
assembly are the major advantages of off-site coating.
3) These specialized paints have a wide range of use. They can be used for steel
coatings, wooden coats, or for structural components like concrete as well. Recently
intumescent fireproofing sprays have been developed that can be applied to fiber glass
structural components, too.
4) Advantageous use of these products can be made in refurbishment projects. The
structural, aesthetic, and architectural value of the structural objects remains
preserved.
As already stated, intumescent paints have a huge scope of use. These paints are mainly used
in fire-stopping, closures, and fireproofing works in buildings, houses, and manufacturing
industries. Gasketing applications also make use of intumescent spray-on fireproofing paints.

19. Major use of these paints is found in offshore drilling, aircraft maintenance, and the ship
building industries.
Demerits of Intumescent Paints and Coatings:
The intumescent fireproofing industry is on the rise and has already created a stir in the
market. However, there are certain drawbacks associatedwith these paints.
1) UV exposure, operational heat, and the humidity of the work area are three major
factors that affect the performance of intumescents. Intumescents are particularly
vulnerable to environmental exposure at the time of application.
2) For sodium silicate based intumescent fire sprays, having rubber or epoxy in the
coatings becomes mandatory in order to promote adherence.
3) They have a limited fire resistance period. The best quality, i.e. most expensive,
intumescent fire sprays will not preserve your structural member for more than sixty
minutes or so. As the fire resistance time duration increases, the costs also increases,
and the cost rise is usually exponential
Key Points:
1. Thin film intumescent coatings are organic paints which are inert at low temperatures but
which swell (or intumesce) to provide a charred layer of low conductivity foam when
exposed to high temperatures.
2. They can be used for buildings with fire resistances up to 120 minutes.
3. Intumescents can be applied by brush, roller or airless spray.
4. Intumescent coatings can be applied off-site. This takes the application of fire protection
off the critical path and helps to reduce the overall construction programme.
5. A range of fully tested topcoats can be specified for use with intumescent coatings that
offer a wide choice of finish in terms of colour and level of gloss.
6. Top coats can easily be repaired and redecorated.
7. Intumescent coatings can be applied onto a galvanised or stainless substrate.
8. The intumescent manufacturers and suppliers have been instrumental in setting up the
Intumescent Coating Forum to create common guidance for the testing, assessment,
installation and inspection of intumescent coatings.

20. USE OF FIRE RETARDANT COATINGS AND
INTUMESCENT:
Intumescent Paint and Fire Retardant Coatings are suitable for use on most structural
building materials such as:
 Softwoods, like pine, larch and cedar
 Hardwoods, such as oak, ash, beech and birch
 MDF (Medium Density Fibreboard)
 Chipboard
 Melamine faced sheet
 Brick and Stone
 Plaster and Plasterboard
 Metal
 Concrete
Fire retardant coatings and Intumescent Fire Resistant paints are suitable for interior
and exterior use including:
 Doors
 Decking
 Bar–tops
 Paneling and Matchboard
 Cladding
 Floors
 Industrial buildings
Intumescent and Fire Retardant paints and other coatings can be applied to most
surfaces including ones that are:
 Painted
 Varnished

21.  Stained
 Unpainted
 Coated with multiple layers of non-retardant paints
FINISHES AVAILABLE:
There are a variety of finishes available for Fire Resistant Intumescent and fire
retardant paints and coatings including:
 Clear finishes
 White finishes
 Coloured finishes
 Gloss
 Silk
 Eggshell
 Matt
 Metallic
BENEFITS AT GLANCE:
Designscope:
1) The coatings, only a few millimetres thick and applied in line with the profile, emphasize
the filigree nature of the structural steel design.
2) Fire protection coatings do not differ from conventional coatings thanks to their smooth
finish.
3) Architects have infinite color scope when planning buildings. Topcoats are available in
all RAL or NCS color shades, special accents can be achieved with DB shades containing
micaceous iron oxide.
Flexibility and versatility:

22. Depending on the systemused, retrospective enhancement of the fire rating is possible,
as in the case of refurbishment projects.
- Fire protection coatings can be applied in virtually all environments, even those with
particularly high requirements such as swimming baths and power stations.
- For the coating of interior areas there are especially low-emission systems that even comply
with the high demands required for sustainability certification.
-
There are coating systems that can be applied to cast iron or galvanized structural steel
components.
Technical and economic quality:
The fast-drying, impact-resistant coatings combine resistance to corrosion and fire with long
periods of fire resistance of up to three hours (R180).
- The low-cost intumescent materials make a key contribution to the value retention capacity
of a building.
- Coatings can be applied on site or in the workshop. Coatings applied in the workshop
enable assembly work to be conducted particularly quickly and independent of the weather
conditions. - Fire protection coatings are virtually maintenance-free over their long service
lives.
- Due to their low intrinsic weight, fire protection coatings do not have to be taken into
account for structural load calculation purposes.

23. Good for people, good for the environment:
The numerous protective systems available enable a targeted selection to be made on the
basis of health-related and ecological criteria.
- Thanks to the minor film thicknesses, material and resource-intensive protective measures
can be avoided.
- Fire protection coatings help gain time and as such save lives!
APPLICATION REQUIRMENTS:
Fire protection coatings are ideally suited to protecting both simple and complex steel
structures against the impact of fire, whereby the applications are virtually unlimited. Many
coating systems are suitable for areas with strict requirements such as hospitals, nursery
schools and food companies. For high-stress application areas such as power stations,
petrochemical plants and swimming baths, suitable products are likewise available. Fire
protection coatings for refurbishment projects are also possible. The preliminary preparation
of the steel or cast-iron structural components by way of sand or dry-ice blasting may be
required. Given the appropriate product selection and preparation, existing fire ratings can
even be enhanced retrospectively to comply with a building’s change of usage.

24. General and individual approvals:
In the German Technical Approvals, for which coating systems are also subjected to an
environmental and health check, the application area for fire protection coatings is clearly
defined. The following application areas are not covered by the General Technical Approvals
and therefore require an independent fire protection assessment and, if necessary, individual
approval for: - full sections (round and square) in the form of cross bracing, tension bars and
wind bracing - tension members as closed sections (e.g. pipes or box-shaped sections) -
tension members as open sections, the bearing capacity of which amounts to > 78 % in a cold
state.

25. CLEANING, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR:
Cleaning:
Fire protection coatings can be cleaned very easily. Loose dust and other contamination can
be easily removed by hand or mechanically by blowing, vacuuming or lightly brushing it off.
Oily or greasy contamination ought to be removed with a sponge or low-pressure water
spray. Standard household detergents can be used too and then rinsed off with clean water.
Depending on the product concerned, high-pressure cleaners can also be used. Before doing
so however, the manufacturer and/or maintenance instructions must be consulted. Attention
must be given to ensuring that the coating is not under any circumstances damaged by way of
the cleaning process.
Testing and maintenance:
Intumescent coatings are resistant to aging and can withstand minor mechanical stress such as
slight bending and temperature expansion without difficulty. Given correct and professional
application and usage, their service life is virtually unlimited. Attention must however be
given to ensuring that coatings are protected against mechanical damage such as that caused
by stored goods or vehicles. For fire safety purposes property owners are obliged to have the
coated structural components, which are normally identified with stickers or marked in the
fire protection plans, subjected to a visual inspection at regular intervals. Depending on the
stress buildings are exposed to, inspections should be conducted at intervals from 1 year (e.g.

26. industrial buildings) to 5 years (e.g. museums). Important to note: as such structural
components as are not accessible for visual inspection purposes cannot generally suffer
mechanical damage, they do not need to be inspected.
Any damage identified as large as a 2-euro coin or more should be repaired professionally
without delay. When repairing damage, attention should be given to ensuring that a product
be selected that is compatible with the system used. By contrast, minor damage less than that
stated above poses no risk in case of fire.
PRODUCT SELECTION AND FILM THICKNESS:
The right system for each application:
Which fire protection systems are best suited to the particular application context and how
thick the individual coats have to be depends on several factors. Initially the general
parameters need therefore to be determined, for example on the basis of the following list of
questions.
1. Interior or exterior application?
Whereas interior applications can often dispense with a topcoat, insofar as this is not desired
for design reasons, the latter is absolutely indispensable for exterior contexts.
2. Which are the material characteristics?
If the structural component is galvanised, coated already or made of a special material
(stainless steel, cast iron), the suitability of the fire protection system should be given due
consideration.

27. 4. Which type of section is involved?
As thin, closed sections heat up more quickly, they need a thicker coat than thick, open
sections. The film thickness required for the relevant structural component is determined via
the section factor (Hp/A value).
5. Coating off-site or on-site?
Coating off-site offers many benefits: it is unaffected by weather conditions, can be carried
out parallel to the construction work and is as a rule less costly than on-site coating. Thanks
to the exceptionally shock-, impact- and abrasion resistant nature of the products, any damage
in transit to be repaired retrospectively is kept to a minimum.
FUTURE TRENDS & MARKET INSIGHT:
Fire resistant paints are the need of the hour and several manufacturing companies have
started to manufacture and market fire retardant paints. Changing lifestyle and methods of
construction are increasingly adopting fire resistant materials and paints for commercial,
residential, industrial, and infrastructure development.
Fire retardant paints have enormous opportunity to grow and partially replace the traditional
paints market. The main driver of fire resistant paints market is the safety concerns of the
people without compromising on the paint quality. Fire resistant paints are extensively used
in industrial buildings which house hundreds of people at any given time. Fire resistant paints
are applied in walls, wooden surfaces and other materials and surfaces as per requirement.
Fire resistant paint when properly coated bulges up to form a solid foam like appearance,
when the temperature increases extraordinarily due to flames. The foam thus formed prevents
the fire or the flame to intrude the solid foam surface and affect the surface which is coated
with fire resistant paint.

28. This type of paint is capable of resisting fire for some time and helps in preventing loss of
life and property until a more capable firefighting method such as fire fighters, sprinklers etc,
is adopted. Fire resistant paints however depend on the coating thickness. Optimum paint
thickness is needed to be achieved so that the desired effect is realized in case of fire. The
growing number of accidents worldwide due to accidental fires in closed environment is a
primary reason for the growth in this market. Growing awareness among urban population
regarding health and safety is again a factor for the growth of this market. Paints which were
earlier conceived as a decorating application have evolved into safety application as well.
The market for fire resistant paints is limited as the concept in niche. However tremendous
opportunity exists for this product in the market. Although no standard has yet been officially
established so as to determine the effectiveness of the products offered by different
manufacturers, the product could be applied to a variety of surfaces and applications and has
endless possibilities, especially in industrial setups which are prone to fire related accidents.
Although manufacturing companies encompassing the globe has developed fire resistant
paint products, the majority of application can be witnessed in North America. North America
typically has a lot of buildings made of wood and plywood, which render them susceptible to
fire. Coating the walls and attics using the fire resistant paint, lowers the risk of the entire
house getting engulfed in flames in areas which house most of these type of buildings. North
America is followed by Europe by demand for fire resistant paints. However tremendous
opportunity exists in Asia Pacific market owing to the high growth of new constructions as
well as industrial areas. Although Asia Pacific region is the highest manufacturer of fire
resistant paints, the current demand is relatively low.
CONCLUSION:
The results obtained from thermal analysis prove that an optimum formulation for fire
retardant coating requires Polyammoniumphosphate, Pentaerythritol, Melamine and
Plasticizer. These components are known as major components. The corresponding reaction
temperature of these major components has been recorded in the range 220 - 500 oC. For
effective fire retardancy the major component must undergo thermal reaction in a
sequential order as Polyammoniumphosphate, Pentaerythritol, Melamine and Plasticizer
respectively. The selection of resin in the formulation may vary depending on where the
product to be applied. We have used acrylic resin in this research work.
The results have demonstrated that the thermal barrier effectiveness of the intumescent
coatings depends upon the degree of expansion and the thermal conductivity of the expanded
char. By quantification of these two parameters the coatings of required thicknesses can be
designed which would enable a composite structure to survive at defined heat flux for a
specified period of time. It was observed that ~0.2 W/mK is the minimum thermal
conductivity value of ~3 mm thick char that should be able to protect a composite structure
from heat to maintain structural integrity for twice the time period than that of the uncoated
sample. These thicknesses of chars can be obtained by 1 mm thick coatings of EI and EDI on

29. GRE and 0.5 mm thick WI coating. That means coatings of at least 2–3 mm thickness would
provide longer time to retain the mechanical properties.
References:
1. Chapter 1& Chapter 6
The Chemistry Of Fire Retardants by John W. Lyons
2. http://www.futuremarketinsights.com
Future trends in Fire retardant coatings.
3. COATINGS TECHNOLOGY HANDBOOK
Third Edition Edited by Arthur A. Tracton