Intumescent coatings: Efficiency and versatility versus durability

 
Thick and thin intumescent coatings are well known efficient solutions for protecting wood and steel against fire. Some recent studies also demonstrated their ability to fire protect composites and plastics. This talk deals with various intumescent coatings, respectively applied on steel, polycarbonate and carbon fiber reinforced composites. Efficiency of these coatings in terms of fire protection has been evaluated thanks to standardized tests or using specifically designed small scale tests, and their mechanisms of action have been investigated. However the durability of these kinds of coatings in accelerated ageing conditions is not often investigated, even if it is of primer importance in order to design a successful product. One part of the talk will be dedicated to ageing mechanisms, and some potential solutions (e.g. topcoats) to overcome these issues will be discussed. In particular, the development of new formulations like silicon based resins will be presented.