Hot melt intumescent materials for fire protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016272893-A1
Application number	US-201415033915-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 31, 2014
Priority date	Nov 12, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A solid intumescent material is made of a of about 30 wt % or less, based on total weight of the intumescent material, of a hot melt thermoplastic or elastomeric resin (e.g. an EVA resin), a reinforcing material (e.g. glass fibers having an aspect ratio of at least about 100), inorganic filler and an intumescent component (e.g. ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol and melamine). The intumescent material may be formed into fire protection barriers of various thicknesses and may be shaped at a temperature well below the activation temperature of the intumescent material to permit conforming the barrier to requirements at a job site.

First claim

1 . A free-standing solid intumescent material comprising:
(a) 30 wt % or less, based on total weight of the intumescent material, of a hot melt thermoplastic or elastomeric resin; (b) a reinforcing material; (c) inorganic filler; and, (d) an intumescent component.

2 . The intumescent material according to claim 1 , wherein the resin is thermally shapeable at a temperature of about 150° C. or less and comprises one or more of:
(i) a highest T m of 130° C. or lower;
(ii) a highest T g of 130° C. or lower;
(iii) a crystallinity index of 0-40%;
(iv) a melt index of 0.3-500;
(v) a viscosity of 1000-100,000 poise at 100 C-170° C. and 100-1,000,000 poise at 200-300° C.; or,
(vi) a weight average molecular weight (M w ) of 50,000-1,000,000 g/mol.

3 . The intumescent material according to claim 1 , wherein the highest T m is 40° C. or higher.

4 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the resin comprises an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.

5 . The intumescent material according to claim 4 , wherein the ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer comprises vinyl acetate content in a range of 20-90 wt % based on total weight of the copolymer.

6 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the resin is present in an amount of about 20 wt % or less.

7 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the resin is present in an amount of about 10-19 wt % based on total weight.

8 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the resin is present in an amount of about 14-18 wt % based on total weight.

9 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing material comprises inorganic fibers having an aspect ratio of at least about 100.

10 . The intumescent material according to claim 9 , wherein the inorganic fibers comprise glass fibers.

11 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing material comprises a unitized reinforcing element.

12 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing material is present in an amount of about 5-15 wt %.

13 . The intumescent material 1 according to any one of claim 1 , wherein the intumescent component comprises a charring agent and a phosphate-based charring catalyst.

14 . The intumescent material according claim 13 , wherein the charring catalyst comprises ammonium polyphosphate and the charring agent comprises pentaerythritol.

15 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 11 , wherein intumescent component further comprises a blowing agent.

16 . The intumescent material according claim 15 , wherein the blowing agent comprises melamine.

17 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 having an expansion ratio of 10 or greater.

18 . The intumescent material according to any one of claim 1 having an expansion ratio of 15-35.

19 . A film comprising the free-standing solid intumescent material as defined in any one of claim 1 .

20 . The film according to claim 17 having a thickness in a range of about 1-25 mm.

21 . A fire protection barrier comprising a film as defined in any one of claim 19 .

22 . The barrier according to claim 21 in a non-planar shape.

23 . The barrier according to any one of claim 21 providing fire protection for 0.5-4 hours according to test method UL 1709.

24 . A fire protection system comprising a fire protection barrier as defined in any one of claim 21 coated on a substrate.

25 . The system according to claim 24 , wherein the substrate comprises steel.

26 . A process for producing a free-standing solid intumescent material comprising melt compounding a hot melt thermoplastic or elastomeric resin, a reinforcing material, inorganic filler and an intumescent component to form a dry mixture comprising about 30 wt % or less of the resin, based on total weight of the mixture.

27 . A process for producing a fire protection barrier, comprising: producing a free-standing solid intumescent material by melt compounding a hot melt thermoplastic or elastomeric resin, a reinforcing material, inorganic filler and an intumescent component to form a dry mixture comprising about 30 wt % or less of the resin, based on total weight of the mixture; and, shaping the free-standing solid intumescent material into a fire protection barrier of defined shape.

28 . The process according to claim 27 , wherein the mixture further comprises a plasticizer present in an amount of about 0.1-10 wt % based on total weight of the mixture.

29 . The process according to any one of claim 27 , wherein the melt compounding is performed at a temperature of 150° C. or less.

30 . The process according to any one of claim 26 , wherein the dry mixture comprises about 20 wt % or less of the resin.

31 . A method of applying the fire protection barrier as defined in any one of claim 21 to a substrate in need of fire protection, comprising applying a liquid adhesive to the substrate, free-standing solid intumescent material or both and immobilizing the fire protection barrier in position on the substrate at least temporarily while the adhesive cures.

32 . The method according to claim 31 , wherein the substrate comprises steel.

33 . The method according to any one of claim 31 further comprising thermally shaping the barrier at a temperature of less than about 150° C. to conform the barrier to the substrate.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Tong Jiangdong
• Zhu Hui

Classifications

• C08J9/0023

  containing oxygen · CPC title

• C09K21/14 Primary

  Macromolecular materials · CPC title

• C08J9/108

  in a heterocyclic ring containing at least one carbon atom · CPC title

• C08J2331/04

  Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl acetate · CPC title

• C08J9/0085

  Use of fibrous compounding ingredients (C08J9/0076 takes precedence) · CPC title