Fire protection intumescent technology

Jimenez, M., Duquesne, S., and Bourbigot, S. 2006. Characterization of the performance of an intumescent fire protective coating. Surface and Coatings Technology 201(3-4) 979-987. 

Another solution to improve the fire-retardant (FR) properties of polymers is the use of intumescent additives [2, 3]. Intumescent technology [4, 5] has found a place in polymer science as a method of imparting flame retardancy to polymeric materials. On heating, FR intumescent materials form a foamed cellular charred layer on their surfaces [6, 7], which protects the underlying materials from the action of heat flux and flame. The proposed mechanism [8] is based on the charred layer acting as a physical barrier, which retards heat and mass transfer between the gas and the condensed phase. 

Among the additives which may be used as substitutes for these systems, intumescent additives seems to be particularly attractive. Fire protection of flammable materials (in particular, paints, varnishes and cellulose-based materials) by an intumescence process has been known for several years [1]. Intumescent technology has more recently found a place in polymer science as a method of providing flame retardancy to polymer formulations, especially polypropylene (PP) formulations [2]. These systems interrupt the self-sustained combustion of the polymer at its earliest stage, i.e. the thermal degradation with evolution of the gaseous fuels. 

---