| Researchers Develop Fireproof
Insulation Derived From Paper
February 11, 2003 Trade Press Publishing Corporation 2100 West Florist Avenue Milwaukee, WI 53209 414-228-7701 Since the collapse of the World Trade Center towers, civil engineers and other building executives know the consequences of the softening of a building's steel girders. Civil engineers are well aware that the use of asbestos materials as fire insulation for load-bearing structures is prohibited by building regulations, such as the code of practice for working with hazardous materials. The same regulations prescribe stringent work safety measures to be observed during the renovation or demolition of old buildings. Consequently, construction firms are looking for economic alternative materials that possess similar properties but do not pose the same health risks as asbestos and other mineral fibers, especially during construction work. Wolfgang Christ is one of the researchers in Germany working on the development of alternatives to sprayed asbestos. It might seem strange to qualify wood derivatives and paper as a heat-resistant insulating material, given that they are more usually considered as combustibles. But it's all a question of mixing the cellulose with the right proportions of mineral components. There are a number of inoffensive boron compounds that melt in contact with fire, forming a protective coating around the fibers, according to Christ. The incombustible mixture sinters becoming a coherent mass by heating without melting and becomes even more solid, without causing any significant loss of the material's thermal insulation properties, he says. By optional addition of graphite, a particular extinguishing effect can be achieved. Mixed with standard commercial binders, the material is easy to process. It adheres well even in thick layers and also protects the steel against corrosion. There are no other products currently on the market that demonstrate properties that are as comparable to sprayed asbestos. But even the new product exists only as laboratory samples so far. The Patent Center for German Research is looking for companies capable of manufacturing the material on an industrial scale. The Patent Center has been concentrating its search on companies active in the sectors of fire protection and building chemistry. |