WO2006097721A1 - A fire insulation material - Google Patents

A fire insulation material Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2006097721A1
WO2006097721A1 PCT/GB2006/000924 GB2006000924W WO2006097721A1 WO 2006097721 A1 WO2006097721 A1 WO 2006097721A1 GB 2006000924 W GB2006000924 W GB 2006000924W WO 2006097721 A1 WO2006097721 A1 WO 2006097721A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
fire insulation
insulation material
decomposable substance
material according
fire
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/GB2006/000924
Other languages
French (fr)
Inventor
Brian James
Mark Newton
Original Assignee
Firespray International Limited
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Firespray International Limited filed Critical Firespray International Limited
Publication of WO2006097721A1 publication Critical patent/WO2006097721A1/en

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
    • C09K21/00—Fireproofing materials
    • C09K21/02—Inorganic materials
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B15/00—Layered products comprising a layer of metal
    • B32B15/14—Layered products comprising a layer of metal next to a fibrous or filamentary layer
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B32—LAYERED PRODUCTS
    • B32B—LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
    • B32B5/00—Layered products characterised by the non- homogeneity or physical structure, i.e. comprising a fibrous, filamentary, particulate or foam layer; Layered products characterised by having a layer differing constitutionally or physically in different parts
    • B32B5/22—Layered products characterised by the non- homogeneity or physical structure, i.e. comprising a fibrous, filamentary, particulate or foam layer; Layered products characterised by having a layer differing constitutionally or physically in different parts characterised by the presence of two or more layers which are next to each other and are fibrous, filamentary, formed of particles or foamed
    • B32B5/24—Layered products characterised by the non- homogeneity or physical structure, i.e. comprising a fibrous, filamentary, particulate or foam layer; Layered products characterised by having a layer differing constitutionally or physically in different parts characterised by the presence of two or more layers which are next to each other and are fibrous, filamentary, formed of particles or foamed one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer
    • B32B5/26—Layered products characterised by the non- homogeneity or physical structure, i.e. comprising a fibrous, filamentary, particulate or foam layer; Layered products characterised by having a layer differing constitutionally or physically in different parts characterised by the presence of two or more layers which are next to each other and are fibrous, filamentary, formed of particles or foamed one layer being a fibrous or filamentary layer another layer next to it also being fibrous or filamentary
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
    • F16L57/00—Protection of pipes or objects of similar shape against external or internal damage or wear
    • F16L57/04—Protection of pipes or objects of similar shape against external or internal damage or wear against fire or other external sources of extreme heat

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a fire insulation material and in particular to a fire insulation material for use in fire doors, partition walls, exterior walls, duct insulation, ship bulkheads and the like.
  • a fire insulation material is to shield an area that is required to be insulated from a fire and to ensure that the temperature on the surface of the fire insulation, which could be a fire door, fire partition or fire-insulated duct does not exceed 14O 0 C plus ambient temperature in an area adjacent to the fire. In fires, it is not uncommon for temperatures in excess of 1100 0 C to be reached. Therefore, a considerable amount of heat needs to be absorbed by the fire insulation.
  • Mineral wool is commonly used as an insulating or flame retardant material in fire insulations.
  • the mineral wool is wrapped around a duct that requires insulation and in the case of fire doors or partition walls, the wool is formed as a fire resistant core inside the door or wall to be protected.
  • fibrous substrate is to be understood in the context of, but not limited to, a thick fibre insulation, such as mineral wool/rock wool/stone wool, glass wool, silica needle mat, glass mat, and the like.
  • a thick fibre insulation such as mineral wool/rock wool/stone wool, glass wool, silica needle mat, glass mat, and the like.
  • the fibrous substrate is mineral wool.
  • the fire insulation material is formed in a layer.
  • a single layer of material may have a thickness of between 10-100 mm, and even more preferably between 10-40 mm.
  • a single layer may have approximately between 300-500 deposits per m 2 .
  • a single layer preferably has between 2-5 Kg of decomposable substance per m 2 .
  • a method of manufacture of a fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, wherein said decomposable substance is arranged in a plurality of deposits in the fibrous substrate by direct injection.
  • the deposits may be arranged in the fibrous substrate by any suitable method.
  • One such suitable method can be a direct injection method into the desired location within the substrate with the use of a hose and/or a worm screw.
  • a further suitable method can be via the formation of an arrangement of deposits on a webbing or other framework to hold the deposits in a desired arrangement with respect to each other, the deposits may then be sandwiched between at least two layers of fibrous substrate and these two layers are subsequently interwoven or meshed in order to form a single layer of fire insulation material with deposits located therein
  • the fibres immediately adjacent the location of a deposit of the substance may be compressed relative to the other fibres of the substrate in general.
  • the compression of the fibrous substrate around a deposit can advantageously assist in maintaining the arrangement of the deposits in the substrate with respect to each other, thus improving the handling properties of the material.
  • the deposits of decomposable substance may be provided with mechanical means to assist in preventing the break up of the deposit whilst the insulation material is being handled, installed and during the life of the material generally.
  • Possible mechanical means may include an internal mesh to which the substance may bind around and/or may include an external mesh or cover to assist in preventing the break up of the deposit.
  • One suitable form of mesh may be any open material, such as an open woven material.
  • the cover may be formed of aluminium foil and may have one or more perforations.
  • the deposits of decomposable substance may be provided with a chemical binder to assist in preventing the break up of the deposit whilst the insulation material is being handled, installed and during the life of the material generally.
  • binders may be provided in the form of latex, surfactants and/or thickeners such as gums and the like.
  • a surfactant and/or a thickener may be operable to maintain the decomposable substance in suspension whilst it is introduced into the fibrous substrate in liquid form, and result in a deposit of substantially uniform size and weight on drying.
  • the decomposable substance is primarily composed of aluminium hydroxide and/or magnesium hydroxide.
  • the decomposable substance is primarily composed of aluminium hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide
  • a fire insulation product comprising at least two layers of fire insulation material.
  • the separate layers in a fire insulation product may be separated by a layer of another material, such as aluminium foil.
  • the layer of another material between adjacent layers of fire insulation may be sacrificial, aluminium foil may be used as the sacrificial layer.
  • the fire insulation material and/or the fire insulation product has an outer cover.
  • the outer cover is preferably made of aluminium foil.
  • the outer cover may be made of metal-coated e-glass however, such as a nickel/bronze coated e-glass wherein the metal is coated onto a woven e-glass scrim.
  • the outer cover can be reinforced, such as with a scrim of suitable construction.
  • a fire insulation material according to the first or second aspect of the present invention advantageously provides a fire insulation material/product having an improved fire insulation performance over known prior art materials.
  • a fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, and wherein said fibrous substrate is substantially entirely coated in the decomposable substance.
  • the fire insulation material according to the third aspect of the present invention is also formed in a layer.
  • a single layer of material may have a thickness of between 10-100 mm, and even more preferably between 10-40 mm.
  • a single layer may have approximately between 300- 500 deposits per m 2 .
  • a single layer preferably has between 2-5 Kg of decomposable substance per m 2 .
  • the rock is heated in furnace to produce molten rock, typically temperatures of 1300-1600 0 C are reached.
  • the molten rock is then typically spun into fibres by droplets falling onto rapidly spinning flywheels. Alternatively, the molten mixture can be drawn through small holes in rotating spinners.
  • the result of both of these processes is a quantity of fibres.
  • a series of binders, oils and the like are added, in part these prevent dusting and can render the resultant fibres somewhat water repellent.
  • the fibres are then cured in an oven to produce a layer of mineral wool which can then be cut into desired dimensions.
  • binders and/or oils added prior to curing are introduced in order to improve the processing properties of the resultant cured material, and are intended to be burnt off/evaporated away during curing. It is essential that such binders and/or oils are substituted with replacement binders and/or oils adapted to be burnt off/evaporated away at temperatures below the reduced curing temperature used.
  • One such suitable binder that may be used for instance would be a glycol or glycol-based component, or any other product that provides a lubricant role, but has a boiling point below 25O 0 C.
  • Fire insulation material according to the third of fourth aspect of the present invention advantageously provides a fire insulation material/product having an improved fire insulation performance over known prior art materials.
  • Fire insulation material according to any aspect of the present invention not only provides fire insulation material/product having an improved fire insulation performance over known prior art materials, but also advantageously provides material that has improved handling, installation properties that are capable of being maintained during the life of the material.
  • a fire door containing a fire insulation material according to the first or third aspect of the present invention and/or a fire insulation product according to the second aspect of the present invention.
  • the invention there is provided a prefabricated building unit for a building containing a fire insulation material according to the first or third aspect of the present invention and/or a fire insulation product according to the second aspect of the present invention.
  • the thickener is preferably an hydroxy ethyl cellulose, an acrylic thickener (for example, Acrysol ASE-60), a polyurethane thickener or xantham gum. Both Orotan 850 and Acrysol ASE-60 are produced by Rohm & Haas Company.
  • Magnifin® of Martinswerk GmbH is a suitable type of magnesium hydroxide which could be used in place of aluminium hydroxide.
  • Magnesium hydroxide releases water in a similar way to aluminium hydroxide, although it only starts to decompose to form water at a temperature of approximately 33O 0 C and only 30% of its content is water.
  • Any other inorganic compound with water of crystallisation that can be released on heating and is non-toxic and does not change to a toxic compound on heating could be used as an alternative.
  • the layers 2,3 of mineral wool and the layer of aluminium foil 4 therebetween are covered by a sacrificial layer 6 of aluminium foil, so that the layers 2,3,4 are completely enclosed by the layer 6.
  • the fire insulation material 1 can be wrapped around a duct to insulate an area surrounding the duct in the case of a fire within the duct, or to protect the duct from fire outside the duct to protect the air being carried by the duct.
  • the fire insulation material 1 can form the fire insulating core of a fire door or fire resistant partition wall.
  • the layer 6 that covers the layers 2,3 of mineral wool is destroyed, thus absorbing some of the heat energy from the fire to prevent it from being transferred to the area that the fire insulation material 1 is intended to protect.
  • the thickness of the layers 2,3 of the material do not have to be 25mm but could be any thickness in the range 10-100mm.
  • the amount of the substance in each layer should be within the range 4.5 - 5kg per m 2 but does not have to be 4.9kg per m 2 of mineral wool.

Abstract

A fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, and wherein said decomposable substance is arranged in a plurality of deposits in the fibrous substrate.

Description

A Fire Insulation Material
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fire insulation material and in particular to a fire insulation material for use in fire doors, partition walls, exterior walls, duct insulation, ship bulkheads and the like.
Background
The purpose of a fire insulation material is to shield an area that is required to be insulated from a fire and to ensure that the temperature on the surface of the fire insulation, which could be a fire door, fire partition or fire-insulated duct does not exceed 14O0C plus ambient temperature in an area adjacent to the fire. In fires, it is not uncommon for temperatures in excess of 11000C to be reached. Therefore, a considerable amount of heat needs to be absorbed by the fire insulation.
Mineral wool is commonly used as an insulating or flame retardant material in fire insulations. In the case of ducting, the mineral wool is wrapped around a duct that requires insulation and in the case of fire doors or partition walls, the wool is formed as a fire resistant core inside the door or wall to be protected.
Whilst mineral wool has proven to be an effective insulator, it has been found that a considerable volume of mineral wool is required before satisfactory fireproofing can be achieved. In the UK, for example, in order to achieve a 2 hour insulation rating to the requirements of BS476 Part 24, it is necessary to insulate the duct with 160kg/m3 mineral wool, approximately 100mm thick.
The requirement of a large volume of mineral wool results in the fire insulation taking up a considerable amount of space. In addition, it is costly to provide a large volume of mineral wool.
An alternative to mineral wool as an insulating or flame retardant material is calcium silicate board. Whilst this material is an efficient fire insulant, it is not flexible, quite fragile and absorbs moisture.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved fire insulation material that is effective at maintaining a sufficiently low temperature in an area to be insulated for a significant period of time. It is a further object of the invention to reduce the costs associated with fire insulation and to reduce the volume of fire insulation material required, as well as improve the handling ability of the material. Summary of the Invention
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, and wherein said decomposable substance is arranged in a plurality of deposits in the fibrous substrate.
The term "fibrous substrate" is to be understood in the context of, but not limited to, a thick fibre insulation, such as mineral wool/rock wool/stone wool, glass wool, silica needle mat, glass mat, and the like. Preferably the fibrous substrate is mineral wool.
Preferably, the fluid produced by the decomposable substance is non-toxic, such as water. Water as the fluid produced on decomposition is advantageous because it is non-toxic and has a high specific heat capacity and high heat of vaporization.
The plurality of deposits of decomposable substance are preferably located throughout the fibrous substrate. To best maintain the desired performance characteristics of the material, each deposit may be of a substantially uniform quantity of decomposable substance, and each deposit may be arranged substantially equidistant to adjacent deposits.
Preferably, each deposit has a weight of between 1-2Og, even more preferably between 5-15g, and most preferably a weight of substantially 1Og. It is also preferable for each deposit to be separated from adjacent deposits by between 10-250mm, even more preferably between 25- 100mm, and most preferably a distance of substantially 50mm.
Preferably the fire insulation material is formed in a layer. A single layer of material may have a thickness of between 10-100 mm, and even more preferably between 10-40 mm. A single layer may have approximately between 300-500 deposits per m2. A single layer preferably has between 2-5 Kg of decomposable substance per m2.
A method of manufacture of a fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, wherein said decomposable substance is arranged in a plurality of deposits in the fibrous substrate by direct injection.
The deposits may be arranged in the fibrous substrate by any suitable method. One such suitable method can be a direct injection method into the desired location within the substrate with the use of a hose and/or a worm screw.
A further suitable method can be via the formation of an arrangement of deposits on a webbing or other framework to hold the deposits in a desired arrangement with respect to each other, the deposits may then be sandwiched between at least two layers of fibrous substrate and these two layers are subsequently interwoven or meshed in order to form a single layer of fire insulation material with deposits located therein
Prior to or during the arrangement of the decomposable substance in the fibrous substrate, the fibres immediately adjacent the location of a deposit of the substance may be compressed relative to the other fibres of the substrate in general. The compression of the fibrous substrate around a deposit can advantageously assist in maintaining the arrangement of the deposits in the substrate with respect to each other, thus improving the handling properties of the material.
Alternatively or additionally, the deposits of decomposable substance may be provided with mechanical means to assist in preventing the break up of the deposit whilst the insulation material is being handled, installed and during the life of the material generally. Possible mechanical means may include an internal mesh to which the substance may bind around and/or may include an external mesh or cover to assist in preventing the break up of the deposit. One suitable form of mesh may be any open material, such as an open woven material. The cover may be formed of aluminium foil and may have one or more perforations.
Alternatively or additionally, the deposits of decomposable substance may be provided with a chemical binder to assist in preventing the break up of the deposit whilst the insulation material is being handled, installed and during the life of the material generally. Preferably such binders may be provided in the form of latex, surfactants and/or thickeners such as gums and the like. A surfactant and/or a thickener may be operable to maintain the decomposable substance in suspension whilst it is introduced into the fibrous substrate in liquid form, and result in a deposit of substantially uniform size and weight on drying.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the decomposable substance is primarily composed of aluminium hydroxide and/or magnesium hydroxide. Preferably the decomposable substance is primarily composed of aluminium hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fire insulation product comprising at least two layers of fire insulation material. The separate layers in a fire insulation product may be separated by a layer of another material, such as aluminium foil. The layer of another material between adjacent layers of fire insulation may be sacrificial, aluminium foil may be used as the sacrificial layer.
In a preferred embodiment, the fire insulation material and/or the fire insulation product has an outer cover. The outer cover is preferably made of aluminium foil. The outer cover may be made of metal-coated e-glass however, such as a nickel/bronze coated e-glass wherein the metal is coated onto a woven e-glass scrim. The outer cover can be reinforced, such as with a scrim of suitable construction. A fire insulation material according to the first or second aspect of the present invention advantageously provides a fire insulation material/product having an improved fire insulation performance over known prior art materials.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, and wherein said fibrous substrate is substantially entirely coated in the decomposable substance.
Preferably the fire insulation material according to the third aspect of the present invention is also formed in a layer. A single layer of material may have a thickness of between 10-100 mm, and even more preferably between 10-40 mm. A single layer may have approximately between 300- 500 deposits per m2. A single layer preferably has between 2-5 Kg of decomposable substance per m2.
During the production of known fibrous substances, such as mineral wool etc, the rock is heated in furnace to produce molten rock, typically temperatures of 1300-16000C are reached. The molten rock is then typically spun into fibres by droplets falling onto rapidly spinning flywheels. Alternatively, the molten mixture can be drawn through small holes in rotating spinners. The result of both of these processes is a quantity of fibres. A series of binders, oils and the like are added, in part these prevent dusting and can render the resultant fibres somewhat water repellent. The fibres are then cured in an oven to produce a layer of mineral wool which can then be cut into desired dimensions.
The inventors have identified that it would be advantageous if the decomposable substance could be incorporated in the production process of the mineral wool or the like. If the decomposable substance could be introduced to the quantity of fibres along with the binders and oils, the resultant fibres would be substantially coated in the substance. In current production processes, the curing temperature is too high and the decomposable substance would decompose during curing.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a fire insulation material according to a third aspect of the present invention, wherein, during the production of mineral wool, a decomposable substance is added to the fibres prior to curing and wherein the curing temperature is fixed below the temperature at which the decomposable substance will decompose. Preferably, the decomposable substance is added substantially uniformly to the pre-cured fibres. It is of course to be understood that "mineral wool" is used herein in a generic sense and covers rock wool, glass wool, ceramic wool, stone wool and other similar materials that are manufactured via the formation of molten material which is subsequently spun or extruded to produce a multiplicity of fibres that are subsequently cured. Some of the binders and/or oils added prior to curing are introduced in order to improve the processing properties of the resultant cured material, and are intended to be burnt off/evaporated away during curing. It is essential that such binders and/or oils are substituted with replacement binders and/or oils adapted to be burnt off/evaporated away at temperatures below the reduced curing temperature used. One such suitable binder that may be used for instance would be a glycol or glycol-based component, or any other product that provides a lubricant role, but has a boiling point below 25O0C.
Fire insulation material according to the third of fourth aspect of the present invention advantageously provides a fire insulation material/product having an improved fire insulation performance over known prior art materials.
Fire insulation material according to any aspect of the present invention not only provides fire insulation material/product having an improved fire insulation performance over known prior art materials, but also advantageously provides material that has improved handling, installation properties that are capable of being maintained during the life of the material.
Furthermore, since the fire insulation material according to any aspect of the present invention has improved fire insulation properties over known prior art materials, the materials and products of the present invention can be produced in thinner layers than of known materials. Thinner layers can be advantageous as this may result in the material being easier to transport, easier to install and, particularly advantageously, reducing the volume of space required around the insulation. The reduction of the volume of space around the insulation can be critical, particularly in areas where the space is limited, such as in a building where slab to slab height and depth of partition/internal walls can be minimised to increase internal accommodation space. Similarly, the depth of bulkheads and partitions in a ship can be minimised to again increase internal accommodation space. Of course, the use of the material around duct work can minimise the amount of surrounding space required for installation and once installed.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of manufacturing a mineral wool, wherein a decomposable substance is mixed with fibres of the pre-cured mineral wool prior to curing, and wherein the curing temperature is fixed below the temperature at which the decomposable substance will decompose.
Similarly, it is of course to be understood that "mineral wool" is used herein in a generic sense and covers rock wool, glass wool, ceramic wool, stone wool and other similar materials that are manufactured via the formation of molten material which is subsequently spun or extruded to produce a multiplicity of fibres that are subsequently cured. According to a sixth aspect, the invention there is provided a fire door containing a fire insulation material according to the first or third aspect of the present invention and/or a fire insulation product according to the second aspect of the present invention.
According to a seventh aspect, the invention there is provided a ductwork installation containing a fire insulation material according to the first or third aspect of the present invention and/or a fire insulation product according to the second aspect of the present invention.
According to an eighth aspect, the invention there is provided a partition wall containing a fire insulation material according to the first or third aspect of the present invention and/or a fire insulation product according to the second aspect of the present invention.
According to a ninth aspect, the invention there is provided a prefabricated building unit for a building containing a fire insulation material according to the first or third aspect of the present invention and/or a fire insulation product according to the second aspect of the present invention.
According to a tenth aspect, the invention there is provided a bulkhead for a ship containing a fire insulation material according to the first or third aspect of the present invention and/or a fire insulation product according to the second aspect of the present invention.
Brief Description of the Drawings
In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, embodiments of the invention will be described, by way of example, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fire insulation material in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; and
Figure 2 is a plan view of a layer of the fire insulation material of Figure 1.
Description of an Embodiment
The fire insulation material described herein comprises a fibrous substrate in the form of mineral wool that contains a substance which produces a fluid when it decomposes. Decomposition occurs in the substance when heat is applied to it. When a fluid is produced as a result of the decomposition it absorbs heat from its surrounding area so that the temperature in the surrounding area is reduced. As such, the fire rating of the mineral wool containing the substance is improved.
It should be noted that decomposition is to be understood in the sense of breaking a compound down into its constituent elements, rather than in the sense of a change of phase. In Figure 1, a fire insulation material 1 has a first layer 2 of mineral wool and a second layer 3 of mineral wool arranged underneath the first layer 2. The first 2 and second 3 layers are separated by a layer of aluminium foil 4.
The mineral wool is made of limestone or any other suitable material, such as basalt. The density of the wool is 45kg/m3, although other densities of wool could be used, depending on the level of fire protection required.
Depending on the fire rating required, the two layers 2,3 are each between 20mm and 40mm thick and each layer has a number of decomposable substance deposits 5, this substance being capable of releasing a fluid when heated to a certain temperature. That substance includes a water-releasing agent, such as an hydroxide, for example, aluminium hydroxide (AI(OH)3), also known as aluminium trihydrate, or magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) and also a surfactant and a thickener. The surfactant helps to keep the hydroxide in suspension during the manufacture of the insulation material; a suitable surfactant is a water soluble polycarboxylate dispersant, such as Orotan 850. The thickener is preferably an hydroxy ethyl cellulose, an acrylic thickener (for example, Acrysol ASE-60), a polyurethane thickener or xantham gum. Both Orotan 850 and Acrysol ASE-60 are produced by Rohm & Haas Company.
An example of a formulation of the substance is:
Water 31.8%
Water Releasing Agent 65.2% Surfactant 1.3%
Thickener 1.7%
A preferred aluminium hydroxide product is Martinal® ON320, which is manufactured by Martinswerk GmbH. Other grades of Martinal® and Martifin® and Martifill®, which are also produced by Martinswerk GmbH, could also be used as alternatives to Martinal® ON320. When heated to a temperature of between 2000C and 12000C aluminium hydroxide breaks down or decomposes to release water, which makes up approximately 35% of its content.
The product Magnifin® of Martinswerk GmbH is a suitable type of magnesium hydroxide which could be used in place of aluminium hydroxide. Magnesium hydroxide releases water in a similar way to aluminium hydroxide, although it only starts to decompose to form water at a temperature of approximately 33O0C and only 30% of its content is water. Any other inorganic compound with water of crystallisation that can be released on heating and is non-toxic and does not change to a toxic compound on heating could be used as an alternative.
The deposits 5 in the layers 2,3 are substantially circular in cross-section and are distributed throughout the layers 2,3 at a density of between approximately 300-500 deposits per m2 of each layer, and preferably 400 deposits per m2. There is between 5-5Kg of substance deposits per m2, and preferably 4.9Kg of the substance per m2 of mineral wool.
The layers 2,3 of mineral wool and the layer of aluminium foil 4 therebetween are covered by a sacrificial layer 6 of aluminium foil, so that the layers 2,3,4 are completely enclosed by the layer 6.
The fire insulation material 1 can be wrapped around a duct to insulate an area surrounding the duct in the case of a fire within the duct, or to protect the duct from fire outside the duct to protect the air being carried by the duct. Alternatively, the fire insulation material 1 can form the fire insulating core of a fire door or fire resistant partition wall.
When the fire insulation material 1 is heated due to a fire in its vicinity, the layer 6 that covers the layers 2,3 of mineral wool is destroyed, thus absorbing some of the heat energy from the fire to prevent it from being transferred to the area that the fire insulation material 1 is intended to protect.
As the fire continues, the substance in the deposits 5 of the first layer 2 (which is closest to the fire) reaches its decomposition temperature and starts to break down. The decomposition of the substance is an endothermic reaction. If the substance is formed primarily of an hydroxide, water is produced as a result of the breakdown of the substance. The water is the form of steam and absorbs additional heat from the fire to prevent that heat from being transferred to the area that the fire insulation material is intended to protect.
Following decomposition of the first layer 2, the heat of the fire will destroy the layer of aluminium foil 4 that separates the first layer 2 from the second layer 3. The substance in the deposits 5 of the second layer 3 will then start to decompose so that more steam will be released.
As a result of the several stages of heat absorption in the fire insulation material 1 , the amount of heat generated by the fire that reaches the area that is intended to be insulated is minimised, so that the temperature in that area is no higher than 1400C plus the ambient temperature as an average over the whole area or 1800C plus the ambient temperature as a maximum spot temperature.
The fire insulation material 1 is manufactured by injecting the substance into a layer of mineral wool to form deposits 5 in the mineral wool when dried so that it hardens within the wool. The layer of mineral wool is then cut so that two layers 2,3 are formed. The second layer 3 is laid flat and the layer 4 is laid thereon. The first layer 2 is laid upon the layer of aluminium foil 4 and then the combined layers are wrapped in the layer of aluminium foil 6, which is then sealed by welding, taping or gluing. In an alternative arrangement, not illustrated in the accompanying drawings, rather than the decomposable substance being present in a plurality of deposits, the decomposable substance coats substantially all of the fibres of the mineral wool due to being is added to the fibres prior to curing.
During the production of mineral wool etc, the rock (minerals, rock, basalt etc) is heated in furnace to produce molten rock, typically temperatures of 1300-16000C are reached. The molten rock is then spun into fibres by droplets falling onto rapidly spinning flywheels. Alternatively, the molten mixture can be drawn through small holes in rotating spinners. The result of both of these processes is a quantity of fibres. A series of binders, oils and the like are added during this process, in part to prevent dusting and can render the resultant fibres somewhat water repellent as well as having improved processing properties. The fibres are then cured in an oven with at least some of the oils and/or binders being burnt off/evaporated away to produce a layer of mineral wool which can then be cut into desired dimensions.
In conventional mineral wool production, the curing temperature would be too high and would cause the decomposable substance to decompose. The binders and/or oils that are added prior to curing and intended to be burnt off/evaporated away are substituted with replacement binders and/or oils adapted to be burnt off/evaporated away at temperatures below the reduced curing temperature used. One such suitable binder that may be used for instance would be a glycol or glycol-based component.
By incorporating the decomposable substance in the production process of the mineral wool or the like along with the binders and oils, the resultant fibres are substantially coated in the substance and the layer of mineral wool may be used as fire insulation material yet may be processed as is normal for mineral wool.
It will be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that the description of the embodiments above are given by way of example only and that various modifications can be made to that which have been specifically described within the scope of the present invention. For example, it is not essential that two layers of mineral wool be provided within the fire insulating material. In some cases only one layer of mineral wool will be necessary to achieve the required fire protection. In other cases, more than two layers of mineral wool, for example, three or four, may be required.
Although the layers 2,3 of mineral wool are separated by a layer of aluminium foil 4, this is not essential. It would be possible to have two layers of mineral wool arranged on top of each other so that they were not separated. Alternatively, a different material, such as stainless steel foil, metalised PET (Poly Ethylene Terephthalate), e-glass, silica cloth or any other high melting point foil could be used for the separation layer. Similarly, the layer 6 that covers the mineral wool does not have to be made of aluminium foil but could be made of any other suitable material, such as stainless steel foil, metalised PET, e-glass, silica cloth or any other high melting point foil. The deposits 5 in the layers 2,3 of mineral wool do not have to be circular in cross-sectional and could be formed in any shape.
Another alternative would be to contain the substance in a packet of material, such as aluminium foil, which could then be inserted between the fibres of the mineral wool.
The thickness of the layers 2,3 of the material do not have to be 25mm but could be any thickness in the range 10-100mm. Similarly, the amount of the substance in each layer should be within the range 4.5 - 5kg per m2 but does not have to be 4.9kg per m2 of mineral wool.
The fibrous substrate does not have to mineral wool but could be any thick fibre insulation, such as silica needle mat or glass mat.

Claims

CLAIMS:
1. A fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, and wherein said decomposable substance is arranged in a plurality of deposits in the fibrous substrate.
2. The fire insulation material according to claim 1, wherein the fluid produced by the decomposable substance is non-toxic.
3. The fire insulation material according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the fluid produced by the decomposable substance is water.
4. The fire insulation material according to any preceding claim, wherein the plurality of deposits of decomposable substance are located throughout the fibrous substrate.
5. The fire insulation material according to any preceding claim, wherein each deposit is of a substantially uniform quantity of decomposable substance.
6. The fire insulation material according to any preceding claim, wherein each deposit is arranged substantially equidistant to adjacent deposits.
7. The fire insulation material according to any preceding claim, wherein each deposit has a weight of between 5-15g.
8. The fire insulation material according to any preceding claim, wherein each deposit is separated from adjacent deposits by between 25-100mm.
9. The fire insulation material according to any preceding claim, wherein the material is formed in a layer.
10. The fire insulation material according to claim 9, wherein a single layer of material has a thickness of between substantially 10-40 mm.
11. The fire insulation material according to claim 9 or claim 10, wherein a single layer has between substantially 300-500 deposits per m2.
12. The fire insulation material according to any of claims 9 to 11 , wherein a single layer has between substantially 2-5 Kg of decomposable substance per m2.
13. The fire insulation material according to any preceding claim, wherein is primarily composed of at least one of aluminium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.
14. The fire insulation material according to any of claims 1 to 12, wherein the decomposable substance is primarily composed of aluminium hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide.
15. A method of manufacture of a fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, wherein said decomposable substance is arranged in a plurality of deposits in the fibrous substrate by direct injection.
16. The method of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the decomposable substance is in suspension.
17. The method of manufacture according to claim 16, wherein the suspension of decomposable substance includes a chemical binder.
18. The method of manufacture according to claim 15, wherein the injection is effected by a worm screw.
19. The method of manufacture according to any of claims 15 to 18, wherein the fibres immediately adjacent the location of a deposit of the substance are compressed relative to the other fibres of the substrate.
20. A fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, and wherein said fibrous substrate is substantially entirely coated in the decomposable substance.
21. The fire insulation material according to claim 20, wherein the fluid produced by the decomposable substance is non-toxic.
22. The fire insulation material according to claim 20 or claim 21, wherein the fluid produced by the decomposable substance is water.
23. The fire insulation material according to any of claims 20 to 22, wherein the material is formed in a layer.
24. The fire insulation material according to claim 23, wherein a single layer of material has a thickness of between substantially 10-40 mm.
25. The fire insulation material according to any of claims 23 to 24, wherein a single layer has between substantially 2-5 Kg of decomposable substance per m2.
26. The fire insulation material according to any of claims 20 to 25, wherein is primarily composed of at least one of aluminium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.
27. The fire insulation material according to any of claims 20 to 25, wherein the decomposable substance is primarily composed of aluminium hydroxide or magnesium hydroxide.
28. A method of manufacturing a fire insulation material comprising a fibrous substrate and a decomposable substance, wherein said decomposable substance is configured, in use, to decompose to a fluid when heat is applied, and wherein said fibrous substrate is substantially entirely coated in the decomposable substance, and wherein, during the production of the fibrous substance, the decomposable substance is added to the fibres prior to curing and wherein the curing temperature is fixed below the temperature at which the decomposable substance will decompose.
29. A method of manufacture according to claim 28, wherein the decomposable substance is added substantially uniformly to the pre-cured fibres.
30. A method of manufacture according to claim 28 or claim 29, wherein at least one of a binder(s) or oil(s) is added prior to curing.
31. A method of manufacture according to claim 30, wherein and said binder(s) and oil(s) are adapted to be burnt off/evaporated away at temperatures below the curing temperature.
32. A method of manufacture according to any of claims 28 to 31 , wherein the binder(s) is a glycol or glycol-based component.
33. A method of manufacturing a mineral wool, wherein a decomposable substance is mixed with fibres of a pre-cured mineral wool prior to curing, and wherein the curing temperature is fixed below the temperature at which the decomposable substance will decompose.
34. A fire insulation product comprising at least two layers of fire insulation material according to any preceding claim.
35. A fire insulation product according to claim 34, wherein one or more layers of insulation are separated from one or more other layers by a layer of aluminium foil.
36. A fire insulation product according to claim 34 or claim 35, wherein an outer cover is provided.
37. A fire insulation product according to claim 36, wherein the outer cover is made of aluminium foil.
38. A fire door containing a fire insulation material according to any of claims 1-14, 20-27 and/or a fire insulation product according any of claims 34-37.
39. A ductwork installation containing a fire insulation material according to any of claims 1- 14, 20-27 and/or a fire insulation product according any of claims 34-37.
40. A partition wall containing a fire insulation material according to any of claims 1-14, 20-27 and/or a fire insulation product according any of claims 34-37.
41. A prefabricated building unit for a building containing a fire insulation material according to any of claims 1-14, 20-27 and/or a fire insulation product according any of claims 34-37.
42. A bulkhead for a ship containing a fire insulation material according to any of claims 1-14, 20-27 and/or a fire insulation product according any of claims 34-37.
43. A fire insulation material substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.
PCT/GB2006/000924 2005-03-15 2006-03-15 A fire insulation material WO2006097721A1 (en)

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WO2011133778A2 (en) 2010-04-23 2011-10-27 Unifrax I Llc Multi-layer thermal insulation composite
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EP1097807A2 (en) * 1999-11-03 2001-05-09 Saint Gobain Isover G+H Aktiengesellschaft Fire protecting bound mineral wool product and fire protection element comprising said product
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GB0605227D0 (en) 2006-04-26
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