BEHAVIOUR OF AN INTUMESCING SYSTEM SUBJECTED TO DIFFERENT HEATING CONDITIONS

摘要

Previous studies have indicated that the expansion of fire seals and fire stoppers will be dependent onrnthe heat exposure. Standardized methods for classification includes exposure to a rapid heat exposurernof the product that is tested, but this might not always be the worst case scenario for the product. Inrnthis paper a series of tests are presented in order to study how a graphite based intumescing system,rnintended for cavities, reacts when subjected to fire conditions different form that in the standardisedrnmethod EN 1366-4. Two different experimental setups, a cone calorimeter at Lund University and arnsmall-scale furnace at SP Fire Technology, were used in the tests.rnThe start of expansion reaction in the tested fire stopper was around 180°C. The start of reactionrntemperature is rather independent of the incident heat flux, while expansion rate is clearly dependentrnon the incident heat flux. Furthermore, the studied fire stopper performed well in the small-scalernfurnace because the graphite expanded enough to give the same protection, although it is preheated orrnwet, as when subjected to a heat exposure similar to ISO 834. These results are good but they are onlyrnconsidered valid for the studied system and for the given situation. Future research is needed in orderrnto study how other types of intumescing fire protection systems work when subjected to realistic firernenvironments.