Silicate Modified Epoxy Intumescent Coating Char Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Intumescent coatings face a trade-off between char strength and fire performance, where strong chars often have poor fire performance and vice versa, necessitating a composition that provides both without the need for reinforcing fibers or materials that compromise insulating properties.
Innovation Solution
A silicate modified-epoxy resin combined with spumifics and metal oxides/hydroxides enhances char strength and fire performance, creating a strong and effective char foam without diminishing insulating capabilities, with optimal metal oxide/hydroxide content below 10 wt%.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If additives such as fibres, silicates, glass reinforcing materials are added to improve char strength, then the strength of the char foam is improved, but the insulating performance of the char is suppressed and fire performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the chemical composition parameters of the epoxy resin by incorporating silicate groups, which fundamentally changes the char formation mechanism. This parameter change allows the resin to produce strong chars through chemical crosslinking rather than physical reinforcement, thereby maintaining insulating performance while achieving high strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite material system by combining silicate-modified epoxy resin with traditional intumescent components (ammonium polyphosphate, melamine). This composite approach allows the silicate-modified resin to provide both structural strength and fire performance, eliminating the need for separate reinforcing additives that would compromise insulating properties.
2Reliability
If intumescent coatings are formulated to produce highly expanded chars with good fire performance, then the fire performance is improved, but the char strength becomes weak and inadequate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the chemical parameters of the binder resin by introducing silicate modification to the epoxy resin. This modification enables the formation of a chemically crosslinked char structure that maintains both high expansion capability for fire performance and inherent structural strength, eliminating the inverse relationship between expansion and strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution achieves superior char strength and fire performance compared to standard non-silicate modified epoxy coatings, providing extended protection against heat without the need for additional reinforcing materials.
Implementation Method 1
When a coating which is formed from the coating composition of the present invention is exposed to heat (for example in a fire, e.g. at temperatures around 90°C and greater), the coating is pyrolysed, resulting in a strong and hard char layer with excellent thermal protection.
Implementation Method 2
the coating slows the rate of temperature increase of the substrate to which the coating is applied. The coating thus increases the time before the structure fails due to the heat of fire.
Implementation Method 3
intumescent coatings typically contain additives called 'spumifics' or 'blowing agents' that give off gas in a fire, which causes the char to swell into a foam.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to an intumescent coating composition comprising (a) the reaction product of a tetra-alkoxylorthosilicate or partially condensed oligomer thereof and an epoxy resin containing hydroxyl groups, wherein the alkoxy groups are independently selected from C1-C20 alkoxy groups, (b) one or more spumifics, and (c) one or more metal oxides and/or hydroxides. The intumescent coating composition provides excellent fire performance and char strength. The invention also relates to substrates coated with the intumescent coating composition, and a method of protecting structures from heat/fire.