Fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for flat products made from recycled materials, method of its production, flat construction product
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- EP · EP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SUCHOMEL ZDENEK
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-30
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-08
AI Technical Summary
Existing construction products made from recycled plastic materials lack sufficient fire resistance and often compromise mechanical properties when treated with fire retardants, especially those using hazardous substances or requiring additional surface treatments.
A fire retardant carrier system utilizing a flat, flexible non-metal net with an intumescent fire retardant layer applied to its surface, which is then integrated into flat construction products made from recycled plastics, enhancing both fire resistance and mechanical properties without compromising aesthetics.
The solution achieves high fire resistance and improved mechanical characteristics, such as bend strength and puncture resistance, while maintaining the product's appearance and using non-toxic fire retardants efficiently.
Smart Images
Figure IB2024058460_06032025_PF_FP_ABST
Abstract
Description
[0001] Fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for flat products made from recycled materials, method of its production, flat construction product
[0002] Field of technology
[0003] The invention concerns a carrier with applied fire retardant substance, where the carrier is the applied to the product, mainly flat product from recycled plastic material. The carrier significantly increases the fire resistance and also improves the mechanical features, in case of flat products mainly bend strength, puncture resistance, long-term shape stability and other mechanical features. The fire retardant carrier preferably includes non-toxic fire retardant impregnation substance which is applied onto the carrier in liquid or powder form.
[0004] Prior state of the art
[0005] It is known that construction products are produced, for example, in form of plates or boards into which a granulate of recyclate from various sources is pressed. The recyclate itself usually lacks any fire resistance, it can originate, for example, in food packaging where the use of dangerous substances cannot be ruled out. Give the volume of consumed materials, the production of construction products preferably uses recyclates of various plastic materials, but their disadvantage is their low fire resistance.
[0006] Publication CN106869352A discloses a board from the waste plastics with expanded balls, with silicon dioxide, with magnesium oxide and with flame retardant. The board’s fire retardant characteristics are improved, but they require high amount of fire retardant.
[0007] Publication CN110219428A discloses a method of production of a composite board where one of the layers is responsible for desired fire retardant characteristics. In the other layer there is a used plastic waste from the industry where one can determine its composition.
[0008] Another approach lies in subsequent surface treatment of the plates and boards with a fire retardant layer. Publication JP2020164355A discloses fire retardant coating material composed of recycled gypsum hemihydrate and finely ground powder from waste concrete material. The disadvantage is the necessity for additional treatment of the surface of the boards and the problems with eventual adhesion of the applied layer.
[0009] The publication US10731346B2 discloses board from recycled plastic which includes coating from glass fibers, which is intended to protect the plastic core against the effects of fire. In order to achieve fire resistance of such a board, the layer of the glass fibers that is applied must be thick.
[0010] Patent SK 288796 discloses impregnation of the splinters or chips before pressing into plates and it could be used during the pressing of the recycled plastic granulate, too, but the irregularity of the recyclate due to efficiency of the waste sorting decreases the efficiency of application of impregnation fire retardant substance into the final product.
[0011] Solutions are known, too, which use various dangerous substances as fire retardants, for example halogens such as bromine or chlorine. These retardants are dangerous to health, mainly during long-term exposition in living quarters, and they can also degrade original physical-mechanical features of the basic material.
[0012] Intumescent coatings are used as surface layers on the outer surfaces of construction products. After the fire penetrates the inside of the material, the intumescent coatings lose their effects. The disadvantage of known intumescent coatings is the coloring of the construction product, too, which often clashes with aesthetic and design demands.
[0013] The goal of the proposed invention is to produce new carrier, new mean to apply the fire retardant substance into the substance of the product, mainly construction product, whereby the carrier or the mean, respectively, should not worsen the mechanical characteristics of the product. The placement of the carrier or the mean, respectively, into the mass of the product should be quick and industrially efficient irrespective of the material specifications of the used plastic recyclate.
[0014] Essence of the invention
[0015] The abovementioned deficiencies in the prior art are significantly remedied by the carrier with the fire retardant substance, mainly for use in the flat products from the recycled materials, according to this invention, whose essence lies in the fact, that it includes flat flexible or semi-flexible non-metal net, into which the layer of the fire retardant substance with the intumescent effect is applied.
[0016] The term “net” in this text is any grid or any flat-oriented structure with openings or eyes, it can be a mesh, a sparsely woven or non-woven fabric, and so on. The distribution of the openings in the net will be usually regular, but it can also by random with different shape and size of the gaps between the fibers of the net. In a preferable arrangement, the non-metal net is composed of fiberglass strands and / or fiberglass threads, especially preferable the non-metal net is formed by commercially available mesh used in construction for reinforcement of plasters and joints. In the preferable arrangement the net from fiberglass threads has regular structure with eyes of a size up to 40 x 40 mm, especially preferably with dimensions from 2 mm to 15 mm, such as, for example, 10 x 10 mm, and with basic weight up to 350 g / m2, especially preferably between 100 to 140 g / m2. The net is non-metal so that the heat transfer decreases, and also due to the better adhesion to the melted recyclate. At the same time, the material of the net is resistant to increased temperature of at least 500°C so that the net does not melt or bums through quickly.
[0017] “Intumescence” in this text is a general name for eventual microintumescence, too. Intumescence manifests itself by foaming the surface of the mass which is usually related to loss of the original mechanical characteristics of the mass. The microintumescence is accompanied by creation of smaller cores, whereby the space around them is foamed. The intumescence is usually accompanied by release of CO2 and nitrogenous gases around the core due to the effect of heat.
[0018] The layer of fire retardant substance is applied onto the surface of the net from at least one side, preferably from both sides, especially preferably it is applied in volume around the whole surface of the threads of the net, which can be realized by dipping (submersing) the net into the liquid or melted solution of the fire retardant substance. An important feature of the fire retardant carrier according to this invention is the maintenance of its perforated character even after the fire retardant substance is applied. The application layer of the fire retardant substance is thus smaller, or significantly smaller, respectively, than approximately half the dimension of the eye in the net. Maintaining the openings in the fire retardant carrier is important for the purposes of effective connection with the mass of the construction product, into which the net is subsequently pressed (pushed).
[0019] Basic material of the product penetrates the free openings in the fire retardant carrier during the application of the fire retardant carrier, which increases the mutual adhesiveness and improves the transfer of forces into the net during the mechanical stress of the product. The dimensions of the free openings in the net after the application of the fire retardant substance with the intumescent and / or microintumescent effect according to this invention form at least 40% of the surface, preferably at least 60% of the surface. It is, at the same time, not important that the intumescence during the exposition occurs to such a degree that the openings in the net are foamed completely, since this would require high amount of the fire retardant substance. The high degree of fire resistance of the resulting product was confirmed by measurements already when the applied fire retardant substance ranges from 250 to 1200 g / m2of the surface of the net, which materially corresponds to ration of 2:1 to 5:1 to the mass of the basic material of the net itself.
[0020] High fire resistant effect is due to two basic factors which has synergic effect and are not disclosed in the prior art. The first factor is the concentration of the used amount of the fire retardant substance into a relatively thin layer. The concentration of the fire retardant substance into a relatively thin layer as compared to spreading of the fire retardant substance to the core of the product increases the efficiency during the flat effect of the fire. In the transversal cross-section of the construction product, for example in the cross-section of the construction plate according to this invention, the fire retardant substance is distributed non-homogeneously in such a way that it is concentrated in the thin continuous layer in which the non-metal net is placed. The second factor of improvement of efficiency is tying of the fire retardant to the threads of the net which creates a structure mechanically maintaining the fire retardant substance during the foaming. The material of the net is heat resistant and during te foaming of the fire retardant substance it forms a flat frame which maintains the foamed fire retardant substance in the respective position. The pressure caused by foaming inside the eye of the net, at the same time, pushes the basic material in the dimension of the eye of the net, and prevents the access of air necessary for burning. It is the tying of the fire retardant substance to the construction of the net which achieves the concentration of the fire retardant substance tied to the threads of the net.
[0021] In the state without fire, the threads of the net fulfill an important mechanical task when they transfer tensile forces during the load of the plate by tension, bending or rotation. Already in case of commercially available fiberglass nets (meshes) the mechanical characteristics are significantly increased, mainly in case of flat construction products which include plastic recyclate, mainly recyclate from the sorted waste or sorted communal waste, whose quality and purity is lower than the industrially produced recyclate.
[0022] An important manifestation of the proposed invention is the optimal use of the respective amount of the fire retardant substance, for example the amount of the fire retardant substance which is economically acceptable for the given type of the construction product. The placement of the fire retardant substance in the concentrated layer, without spreading in the whole layer of the core of the product, improves fire retardant effects. This feature of the invention does not rule out realization when the fire retardant substance is typically distributed in the core of the construction product and at the same time the fire retardant substance is concentrated in the layer together with the net.
[0023] The abovementioned deficiencies are significantly remedied by the method of production of the fire retardant carrier which is designed mainly for subsequent use in the flat product from the recycled plastics according to this invention, whose essence lies in the fact, that a layer of fire retardant substance with an intumescent effect is applied onto the flat flexible or semiflexible non-metal net, whereby it is applied by dipping and / or submersing and / or gluing and / or soaking into the liquid or melted fire retardant substance. The method is preferably characterized by application of layer of the fire retardant substance in scope of 250 - 1200 g / m2of the surface of the net. A method is disclosed in the examples of realization of the invention, during which a liquid glue is applied and subsequently powder granulate of the fire retardant substance is applied, as well as method of dipping of the net in the liquid melt of the fire retardants substance.
[0024] When dipping the net to the melted form of the fire retardant substance, it is preferable if a ground mixture of ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol is melted, eventually melamine is added. Two components - ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol - are in waterless state present in broad scope of 5 to 95% of the mass of the resulting mixture. In case three components are used, each of the three components can form from 5 to 50% of the mass of the resulting mixture. The entry components in the waterless form are heated to 240°C to 350°C while melt arises; the common mixed melt is maintained at the temperature from 240°C to 350°C for at least 30 seconds, and subsequently the melt in the liquid form is applied to the net at temperature of at least 150°C. The application can take place by dipping the net in the vessel with the melt, or by spraying with the jets. After the application, the net is rolled on the reel and ready to use in the production line for products, mainly construction products from the plastic recyclate.
[0025] In one of the arrangements, the method can include, first, mixing of non-heated entry components in dry, waterless state, where these components are mechanically mixed and the resulting mixture of the solid particles is heated to the melt state, whereby polymerization takes place in the melt. In another arrangement each entry component can be heated independently and subsequently the liquid forms of the entry components are mixed into a common melt in which polymerization takes place. A method is also possible where the entry components are placed in a single vessel in which they are mixed and heated which causes mixing of, firstly, dry mixtures and subsequently mixture of melts of individual components into a common melt. The common melt has a temperature of 240°C to 350°C for at least 30 seconds, so that the polymerization has the respective product.
[0026] The regulation of the required flat amount of the fire retardant substance during its application onto the net can be achieved by regulation of the jets’ performance, regulation of the speed of movement of the net on the production line, or repeated rewinding and application of the fire retardant substance.
[0027] Ammonium polyphosphate [NH4 POs]n is used as food additive, emulsifier (E545). It is also used as halogenless fire retardant. Depending on the level of polymerization, there are two basic groups of ammonium polyphosphate: crystalline phase I APP and crystalline phase II APP. Phase I ammonium polyphosphate has short and linear chain (n<100), it is more sensitive to water and it is less heat stable; it begins to decompose at temperatures above 150°C. Phase II ammonium polyphosphate has high level of polymerization with n>1000, its structure is branched (networked) and it has higher temperature stability; it begins to decompose at approximately 285°C to 300°C and it has higher dissolubility in water than phase I APP.
[0028] Pentaerythritol, 2,2-Bis(hydroxymethyl)1 ,3-propanediol, C5H12O4 , CAS 115-77- 5, is white crystalline powder, tetravalent monotopic alcohol. It is used for the production of alkyd resins, emulsifiers, explosives, coating materials, synthetic lubricating oils. It is considered an ecological substitute for polyvinyl chloride biphenyls (PCBs).
[0029] Melamine, 2,4,6-triamino-1 ,3,5-triazine, general formula: C3-H6-N6, CAS number 108-78-1 , is mainly used in the production of plastics and nitrogenous fertilizers. Melamine is non-toxic in small doses. Melamine is described as harmful due to its unwanted presence in food, but the toxic dose in food is comparable to table salt, exceeding 3 g per kilogram of an individual's live weight. From this point of view, the use of melamine in the additive according to this invention is harmless.
[0030] The resulting construction product, mainly flat-shaped such as plates, boards, walls, partitions, including recyclate from plastic waste, is also a subject matter of this invention, whose essence lies in the fact that it includes a flexible or semiflexible non- metal net with the applied layer of the fire retardant substance with the intumescent effect, whereby the longitudinal orientation of the net basically corresponds to the longitudinal course of the construction product. It is preferable if the net is pressed into the mass of the product at depth of 3 mm from the surface at the maximum, eventually it is pressed into the mass of the flat product from both sides. The net should be preferably oriented in the direction of the tensile stresses during expected mechanical stress. For example, in the bending load of the inserted plate it should be placed on the sides of the force effect, in case of the beam on the supports the net should be placed opposite to the force effect. If the net is not visible on the surface, it is preferably if its position is graphically highlighted on the construction product itself.
[0031] Tests the construction products according to examples confirmed high mechanical characteristics and excellent fire resistance on broad range of recyclate components, for example (as percent of the mass): PE-LD I PE-HD - polyethylene: 70- 75%, PET polyethylene terephthalate: 10-15%, PA - polyamide: 0,05-3%, POM - polyacetal: 0,05-3%, PP - polypropylene: 0,05-3%, chemical pulp: 10-15%, wood fiber material: 0,05-3%; or PE-LD I PE-HD - polyethylene: 65-70%, PET polyethylene terephthalate: 5-10%, PA - polyamide: 0,05-2%, POM - polyacetal: 0,05-2%, PP - polypropylene: 0,05-2%, chemical pulp: 25-30%, wood fiber material: 0,05-2%.
[0032] Mechanical characteristics compared to standard OSB are as follows:
[0033] The advantage of the invention is the high efficiency of use of non-toxic fire retardant substance while the mechanical characteristics are improved and the outer appearance and color of the construction products is maintained.
[0034] Description of drawings
[0035] The invention is further disclosed by means of drawings 1 to 6. The size of individual parts, the ratio of thickness of the net’s threads to the layer of the fire retardant substance, are only for illustration and cannot be interpreted as limiting the scope of protection.
[0036] Figure 1 is cross-section of the construction board with one net at the top side of the of the board.
[0037] Figure 2 shows the net with the fire retardant substance applied on a single side.
[0038] Figure 3 depicts the net with the fire retardant substance applied in whole volume.
[0039] Figure 4 schematically depicts the production line for application of the fire retardant substance by dipping in the melt.
[0040] Figure 5 depicts a schema of application of the net to the bottom and top side of the continually pressed construction plate.
[0041] Figure 6 depicts application of the layer of the fire retardant substance by means of a roller.
[0042] Examples of realization
[0043] Example 1
[0044] In this example a fibertextile net 1 with regular eyes and dimensions 10 mm x 10 mm, and with surface density 145 g / m2, is used. The net 1 is placed into the unwinding device in a roll and subsequently runs through the group of guiding rollers and it is dipped in the melted melt in the flat vessel with an electric heating. The components of the melt are measured followingly: ammonium polyphosphate in the amount of 50 weight parts, pentaerythritol in the amount of 50 weight parts. The entry components in the loose, waterless form are placed in the common vessel where they are mixed and subsequently heated above 285°C, whereby a common melt arises which is mixed and maintained at temperature above 285°C for at least 2 minutes. Subsequently, the melt is transferred to the flat vessel where it is maintained by electric heating at the temperature of at least 185°C. When dipping the net 1 to the melt, the layer of polymer of the fire retardant substance 2 is applied onto the surface of individual threads of the net 1 . The layer is in amount of 500 ±100 g / m2of the surface of the net 1. The net 1 subsequently runs through the guiding rollers where it is cooled to 100°C and it is subsequently wound on the reel. The reel of the net 1 is firstly inserted into the production line for production of construction boards from the plastic recyclate. The composition of the recyclate in this particular example is as follows:
[0045] PE-LD / PE-HD - polyethylene: 73%,
[0046] PET polyethylene terephthalate: 13%,
[0047] PA - polyamide: 1 %,
[0048] POM - polyacetal: 1 %,
[0049] PP - polypropylene: 1 %, chemical pulp: 10%, wood fiber material: 1 %.
[0050] The local irregularity of the volume of the components due to varying granulometry can be ± 50%.
[0051] Example 2
[0052] Three components of the melt are weighed in this example followingly: ammonium polyphosphate in the amount of 40 weight parts, pentaerythritol in the amount of 40 weight parts, and melamine in the amount of 20 weight parts. The melt is sprayed on the one side of the net 1 , whereby during pressing of the net 1 into the construction products 3 a position is maintained in such a way that the side of the net 1 with the applied fire retardant substance 2 is oriented towards the outer surface of the construction product 3.
[0053] The entry components of the melt are melted individually at temperatures above 250°C and subsequently mixed into a common melt where polymerization takes place for at least 5 minutes. The spraying is realized by heated jets.
[0054] The preparation of the melt takes place alongside the production line for the production of the construction plates, whereby the net 1 after the spraying enters from above onto the surface of the plastic recyclate and it is pressed before the melt cools, which decreases the energy demands of the production and decreases the manipulation steps.
[0055] The composition of the recyclate in this particular example is as follows:
[0056] PE-LD / PE-HD - polyethylene: 65%,
[0057] PET polyethylene terephthalate: 6,5%,
[0058] PA - polyamide: 1 %,
[0059] POM - polyacetal: 1 %, PP - polypropylene: 1 %, chemical pulp: 25%, wood fiber material: 0,5%.
[0060] The local irregularity of the volume of the components due to varying granulometry can be ± 25%.
[0061] Example 3
[0062] In this example the net 1 is firstly dipped in the liquid glue and subsequently the fire retardant substance 2 with an intumescent effect is applied onto it in the loose (powder) form with fraction 50 pm.
[0063] Industrial applicability
[0064] Industrial applicability is obvious. According to this invention it is possible to industrially and repeatedly produce and use mean (carrier) with fire retardant substance which is applied in various ways, whereby this carrier can be preferably used in flat products from recycled materials, where it also improves mechanical characteristics.
[0065] List of symbols
[0066] 1- net
[0067] 2- fire retardant substance
[0068] 3- products
Claims
P A T E N T C LA I M S1. A fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for flat products made from recycled materials, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that it includes a flexible or semiflexible non-metal net (1) with an applied layer of the fire retardant substance (2) with an intumescent effect, whereby a material of the net (1) is resistant to temperature up to 500°C.
2. The fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for the flat products made from the recycled materials, according to the claim 1 , i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the net (1) is made of fiberglass threads and / or fiberglass yam.
3. The fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for the flat products made from the recycled materials, according to the claim 1 or 2, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the net (1) has a regular structure with eyes with dimensions up to 40 x 40 mm, preferably with the rectangular eyes with dimensions from 2 mm to 15 mm.
4. The fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for the flat products made from the recycled materials, according to any of the claims 1 to 3, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the net (1) has a surface weight up to 350 g / m2, preferably in range of 100 to 140 g / m25. The fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for the flat products made from the recycled materials, according to any of the claims 1 to 4, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that a surface of free openings in the net (1) is at least 40%, preferably at least 60% of the overall surface of the net(1).
6. The fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for the flat products made from the recycled materials, according to any of the claims 1 to 5, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that a layer of the fire retardant substance is 250 - 1200 g / m2of the surface of the net (1).
7. The fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for the flat products made from the recycled materials, according to any of the claims 1 to 6, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the layer of the fire retardant substance (2) on the net (1 ) is from a one side or from both side of the net8. The fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for the flat products made from the recycled materials, according to any of the claims 1 to 7, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the fire retardant substance (2) is a melt of ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol.
9. The fire retardant substance carrier, mainly for the flat products made from the recycled materials, according to any of the claims 1 to 7, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the fire retardant substance (2) is the melt of ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol and melamine.
10. A method of a production of a fire retardant carrier, designed mainly for a use in a flat product from recycled plastics, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that a layer of a fire retardant substance (2) with an intumescent effect is applied onto a flat flexible or semiflexible non-metal net (1 ) by means of a dipping and / or a spraying and / or a gluing and / or a submersing into the liquid or the melted fire retardant substance (2).
11. The method of the production of the fire retardant carrier, according to the claim 10, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the net (1) is dipped in a melt of ammonium polyphosphate and pentaerythritol, or the melt of ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol and melamine.
12. The method of the production of the fire retardant carrier, according to the claim 11 , i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that entry components in a waterless form are heated to a temperature ranging from 240°C to 350°C while the melt is created; the common mixed melt is maintained at the temperature ranging from 240°C to 350°C for a period of at least 30 seconds; and subsequently the melt in a liquid state is applied onto the net (1) at the temperature of at least 150°C.
13. A construction product, mainly the flat construction product which includes a recyclate from a plastic waste, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that it includes a flexible or semiflexible non-metal net (1) with an applied layer of a fire retardant substance (2) with an intumescent effect, whereby a longitudinal orientation of the net (1) basically corresponds to a longitudinal course of the construction product (3).
14. The construction product, mainly the flat construction, according to the claim 13, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the net (1 ) is pressed into a mass of the product (3) in a depth no more than 3 mm from a surface.
15. The construction product, mainly the flat construction, according to the claim 13 or 14, i s c h a r a c t e r i z e d b y t h e f a c t , that the net (1) is pressed into the mass of the flat product (3) from both sides.