GB2356584A

GB2356584A - Fire protective film

Info

Publication number: GB2356584A
Application number: GB0019408A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nigel Christopher Maris
Original assignee: CARBOLINE EUROP Ltd
Current assignee: CARBOLINE EUROP Ltd
Priority date: 1999-08-06
Filing date: 2000-08-07
Publication date: 2001-05-30
Also published as: GB0019408D0

Description

2356584 BD/SAC/14-140 0:\SPECS\]aD\Nl40-nul A FILM FOR FIRE PROTECTION The

invention relates to a film for fire protection.

it is known to apply an inturnescent coating to architectural building elements, such as steel beams, columns, walls and ceilings, by spraying the intumescent material in aqueous or solvent based liquid form. In this method, the material should be carefully mixed and prepared and must be used quickly or kept away from air to prevent hardening before application. The coating must be applied by skilled labour to ensure a uniform coating of adequate thickness to give the fire protection rating required.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a solid film 15 constituting or including inturneseent material, the film being arranged to be affixed to a surface to provide fire protection.

The term "solid" as used herein is used in the sense of distinguishing from liquid and is not to be taken to imply any particular level of rigidity.

As the film is solid, it avoids the problems of storage away from air, and finite shelf life associated with aqueous or solvent based liquid material. It is also more easily transported and handlecL In the known method there is wastage through over spray and that wastage is avoided by use of the solid film. Importantly, the thickness of the film can be guaranteed in order to deliver the fire protection required, as the film can be supplied in a quality controlled uniform thickness. This has the associated advantage 2 that the film can be put into place by unskilled labour rather than the skilled labour required to achieve uniform thickness in the spraying method.

The film may constitute or include thermoplastic material which may comprise a low melting point polymer and/or which may include flexiblisers or plasticisers therein.

Preferably, the film is sufficiently flexible to be be nt around 60' bends, 10and preferably bends of 90 or 120 or greater without cracking, as for example nuight be found in I section beams with the material either in its norrnal state, or with the application of means such as heat or radiation for local softening. Preferably the film is coilable. It can thus be supplied for convenient storage and handling as a roll. 15 The film may include an adhesive layer by which it can be affixed to a surface and may be supplied on a backing sheet such as a release foil.

While the film may comprise a continuous uniform thickness of 20 intumescent material, the film may alternatively comprise a substrate layer on which the inturnescent material is provided, either as a continuous layer, or as a discontinuous layer, for example in spots or striations, wh ich may beneficial in improving flexibility. The film may include fibres or other inclusions in a composite structure to improve strength and/or flexibility.

3 Another advantage of the film is that a number of films of different types can be applied on the same site, either to achieve different fire protection levels or, for example, for aesthetic reasons.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which is a perspective view of a film in an embodiment of the invention applied to an I beam.

Thus,, Fig. I shows an I beam 10, for example of steel. The I beam 10 has 10 been covered with a film 12 except for its axial end surfaces 14. The film 12 has been applied as a single sheet and affixed to the I beam with an adhesive. Thus, the adhesive has been applied to the surfaces of the I beam 10 to be covered and the sheet 12 has then been applied. The initial edge 16 of the sheet 12 lies centrally of the upper surface 18 of the I beam 10. From there, the sheet 12 has been laid across the upper surface 18 and around following the contour of the I beam 10 to provide a closely fitting covering and being cut to terminate adjacent to the edge 16.

Suitable filling agents may be applied to the "butt-joints" at 16 to maintain 20 the fire resistance integrity. - At the beam flange ends ftuther film may be applied to provide integrity.

The film 12 is provided as a Inun thick continuous film of thermoplastic intumescent material incorporating plasticisers for flexibility.

It is thus seen that the film 12 provides a uniform layer and that applying the film 12 is an unskilled job. The film 12 can be provided as a sheet to be cut and fit on or off site. The film 12 can be applied in different 4 finishes, for example, high gloss, low gloss or printed with designs, mock surface effects or company logos etc. Inforination can be shown on the outside of the sheet 12, including the date of manufacture, or 44 use by" date for the material. If there is damage, the film 12 can be patched, or if the adhesive needs to be inspected, a section may be removed and later replaced following inspection.

The film of the invention can be used in most situations where fire protection coatings are currently employed. These could include protection of plant and equipment, especially chemical vessels and pipe-work, and in transport vehicles.

In an alternative embodiment, instead of adhesive being applied to the beam substrate, the adhesive may be applied to the inturnescent film itself and which is then applied to the substrate.

In a further embodiment, a primer may be applied to the I beam before the film.

The thickness of the film may be greater than Imm as required.

In a further embodiment, the thermoplastic material may not include plasticisers.

In a further embodiment, an inturnescent material is sprayed on the I-beam, and once it has dried, the film of the invention is applied. The thickness may be less than Imm as one purpose of the film is to improve the appearance of the protected beam. The film may be in a desired colour or may display a desired pattern for decoration.

The film may be manufactured by taking a sheet of plastics material and spraying thereon a layer of intumescent material. Once the intumescent has dried, a top sheet may then be applied to cover the inturnescent, for example, for decorative effect. The film is then ready to be affixed to a surface to be protected.

6

Claims

1. A solid film constituting or including intumescent material, the film being arranged to be affixed to a surface to provide fire protection.

2. A solid film according to claim 1, wherein the film constitutes or includes thermoplastic material.

3. A solid film according to claim 2, wherein the thermoplastic material 10 is selected from acrylic and/or vinyl polymers and/or copolymers.

4. A solid film according to any preceding claim, wherein the film is flexible.

5. A solid film according to any preceding claim, wherein the intumescent material comprises one or more of unexfoliated vermiculite, graphite, alkali metal silicates, polyol, phosphate, blowing agent mixtures or combinations thereof.

6. A solid film according to any preceding claim, wherein the intumescent material is provided as a continuous or a discontinuous layer on a substrate layer.

7. A solid film according to any preceding claim, additionally 25 comprising an adhesive layer for affixing the solid film to the substrate.

8. A solid film according to claim 7, additionally comprising a releasable backing sheet on the adhesive layer.

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9. A roll of solid film as defined in any preceding claim.

10. A method of affixing a heat-insulative intumescent material to a 5 surface comprising the steps ofi) providing a solid film comprising intumescent material and ii) affixing the solid film to the surface.

11. A solid film, substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to 10 the accompanying figure.