Regulations in the UK and EU require a building’s durability to be maintained in the event of a fire.
Fire resistant requirements for a building and its frame are defined in terms of the fire resistant period and is stated in terms of minutes. Intumescent coatings are a fast method of providing structural steel with up to 120 minutes of fire protection, whilst providing a finish similar to paint.
Intumescent coatings remain stable in ambient temperatures, however, in the event of a fire increasing temperatures activate a chemical reaction causing the intumescent coating to expand up to 50 times its original thickness. The reaction and increase in size creates a “char”, an insulating foam-like coating that provides the fire protection to the steel.
