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Characterisation of intumescent coating

performance for performance-based design

Yong Zhang
Prof. Yong.C. Wang
20-04-10

Background
Standard fire test methods are used to
assess intumescent coating.
treated as non-reactive materials.
thermal properties are considered the same
during tests.

Different fire exposures lead to different


results.
Complex chemical reactions and phase
transition undergo when heated.

Background
There is a strong demand for new,
performance based assessing method.
A model to predict the performance of
intumescent coatings under different fire
scenarios.
Steel temperature-time relationship
Effective thermal conductivity.

New, practical test methods.

Modelling
A modelling has been built
by my predecessor.
final thickness was taken as
an input.
limit to specific fire
conditions.

Key Parameters
Chemical factors
Composition (proportions of reactants)
Chemical kinetic (Activation Energy, Pre-exponent
factor)

Thermal factors
Char structure (bubble size)
Char size (final thickness)

Other factors
Steel thickness
Heat flux etc
Pressure

TGA

Modelling
5
4.5
Apparent thermal conductivity (W/m.K)

Q
=
d * T

4
3.5

d= final expansion thickness

3
2.5

Apparent thermal conductivity

2
1.5
1

0.1
0.5
0.09

Effective thermal conductivity (W/m.K)

0
0.08

100

200

300
Steel temperature (C)

0.07

d= initial thickness
Effective thermal conductivity

0.06
0.05
0.04
0.03
0.02
0.01
0
0

100

200

300

Steel temperature (C)

400

500

600

400

500

600

Theory and Assumptions


How to predict the final expansion thickness?
The key issues:
Q1: How does bubble grow?
Q2:When does expansion stop?
Q3: How much gas contributing to bubble growth?
Gas participation: mass loss + trapped gas = total
decomposition
Q3
Compute gas
generated
in each layer

Initialise

Calculate gas
trapped among
bubbles

Q2

Q1

Calculate
expansion growth

Determine
bubble burst and
expansion stop

Determine
material properties

Calculate volume
fractions of gas
and polymer

end

t>limit?

Calculate
temperature field

Theory and Assumptions


Main assumptions
Q1: How does bubble grow?
Gases trapped in bubble follow ideal gas law

PV = nrT

i.e.

mrT
Px =
wS

Q2:When does expansion stop?


Expansion stops when bubble bursts

Bubble Theory
Consider an individual bubble
The forces across the bubble have
to be balanced according to the
Young-Laplace equation:

2 4 R
P =
+
R
R
Where p is pressure difference , -viscosity, -surface
tension, R-bubble size and dR/dt -expand rate.

Bubble bursts (so no further


expansion) when

2 4 R
P >
+
R
R
From bitsandpieces.us

Bubble theory
Combining the ideal gas law equation, after some
mathematical work
Surface tension resistance

expansion force

2 rk
dm
*m
= 8 R + 16 R R
wPS
dt
Viscosity resistance

The expansion is mainly due to gas release from


chemical reactions and temperature increase
The resistances (viscosity &surface tension) are
mainly a function of temperature.

Bubble theory
Barrier force

Bubble growth

Bubble burst

The extract
barrier force
curve is
unknown, we
only know the
trend

It should be safe to say that bubble bursts when the


driving force reaches maximum

Bubble Theory

dt

Q3: How much gases


are trapped?

0.00020

0.00015

m(dm/dt)

Answer to Q1&Q2:
Bubble grows following
the ideal gas law and
stops growing when dm
reaching maximum m

m(dm/dt)
0.00010

0.00005

0.00000

400

600

800

Temp

1000

1200

Results from the past


Furnace tests
Three fire profiles
Structural samples
1200

1000

Temp

800

600

Iso Fire
Slow Fire
Fasf Fire

400

200

0
0

1000

2000

3000

t (s)

4000

5000

6000

Gas trapped ratio (beta)


So far, no suitable experimental solution is
found.
1.0

1.0
0.8

=(423/T)

beta

beta

0.6

0.5

0.4

0.2

0.0

200

400

600

800

1000

0.0
200

1200

400

600

800

1000

1200

temp /k

temp /k

Different beta curves used for the modelling


Beta relationship:
1+

T0
=
T

x0
0.5

gas trapped ratio


T temperature
T0 temperature start to release gas
x0 initial coating thickness

Standard Fire
Beam Web ST 4 initial thickness 1.167 mm
Beam Web ST 2 initial thickness 1.116 mm

-17%

45

800

40

700

35

600

30

500

2%
40

Temp

600
500

25

400

20

300

15

Experiment
Modelling
Thickness

200
100

Temp

700

Thickness

800

400

10

30

40

50

10

100
5

0
0
0

-5
20

Experiment
Modelling
Thickness

200

0
10

20

300

30

10

20

30

40

50

60

Time

60

Time
Column Web ST 5 initial thickness 0.964 mm
Beam Web ST 1 initial thickness 1.075 mm
800

-10%

45

800

40
700

40

700
30

35

600

600

30
25
20

400

15

300

Experiment
Temp
Thickness

200
100

Temp

500

500

Thickness

Modelling

2.7%

20
400
300

10

200

100

Experiment
Modelling
Thickness

10

0
-5
0

10

20

30

Time

40

50

60

10

20

30

Time

40

50

60

Slow Fire
600

Slow Fire 254 web initial thickness 0.615 mm

-10%

600

26

45

Slow Fire 203 Web initial thickness 0.834 mm

-2%

24

40

22

35

20
400

400

18

30
25

14

Temp

Temp

16
12
200

10

Web
Modelling
Thickness

20
200

Web
Modelling
Thickness

8
6
4

15
10
5

-2
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

10

20

Time

500

30

40

50

60

Time

Slow fire 254 Flange initial thickness 0.615 mm

Slow Fire 203 Flange initial thickness 0.834 mm


6%

11%

40

25

450

35
400

400
20

30

350

250
200

10

flange
Experiment
Thickness

150
100

Temp

Temp

15

Thickness

25

300

20

200

15

Flange
Modelling
Thickness

10

50

0
0

10

20

30

Time

40

50

60

0
0

10

20

30

Time

40

50

60

Fast Fire
Fast Fire 254 Web initial thicknes 0.569 mm
Fast Fire 254 Flange initial 0.569 mm

800

25%

25

1%

800
20

20

600

15

400

400
10

Flange
Modelling
Thickness

200

Temp

Temp

15

10

Experimental
Modelling
Thickness

200

0
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

10

20

30

40

50

60

Time

Time

Fast fire 203 web initial thickness 0.839 mm

Fast fire 203 flange initial thickness 0.839 mm

12%

14%
35

800

35

800

30

30

600

25

20
400
15

Flange
Modelling
Thickness

200

10

Temp

25

Thickness

Temp

600

20
400
15

Web
Modelling
Thickness

200

10
5

0
0

10

20

30

Time

40

50

60

10

20

30

Time

40

50

60

Thickness

600

Experiments and results


A cone calorimeter is employed for
modelling development and improvement.
versatile, small scales, quick experiments and
cost-effective.
provide feedbacks and inputs for the modelling.
can also be used for modelling validation.

A furnace is also built to validate the model


using structural samples.

cone
paint
steel
wool
scale

Camera
PC

Experiment and results

Experiments and results


110
100

100

90

k=10
k=20
k=30
k=40

70

k=10
Modelling

80

Weight

Weight

80

60

60
50

40

40
30

20

40

60

80

200

400

100

600

800

1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000

Temp

Time

Component 1*

Component 2

Component 3

Fraction (%)

28

17

55

E (kJ/mol)

54

100

60

A (s-1)

300

1.8e6

Component 1 Acid source


Component 2 Blow agent
Component 3 Charring agent

Samples
Sample ID

Steel thickness
mm

Initial thickness
mm

Heat Flux
kW/m2

SA150LP

0.35

50

SA250LP

0.37

SB150LP

10

0.79

SB250LP

10

0.73

SC150LP

20

0.54

SC250LP

20

0.65

SA365LP

0.68

SA465LP

0.7

SC165LP

20

0.55

SC265LP

20

0.62

SC365LP

20

1.24

SC465LP

20

1.23

50

50

65

65

65

Results
sa150lp initial thickness 0.35 mm

30

600
25

500

20

Temp / C

400

15

300

modelling
measured
measured
modelling

200

10

100

-500

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

Thickness /mm

50

kW/m2

4000

time /s
450

sb150lp initial thickness 0.8 mm

40

sc150lp initial thickness 0.55 mm


25

400

35

400

350

30

200

15

measured
modelling
modelling
measured

100

500

1000

1500

2000

time /t

2500

3000

3500

modelling
measured
modelling
measured

200
150
100

50

4000

15

250

10

-500

Temp / C

20

thickness /mm

25

temp / C

300

20

300

-500

10

0
0

500

1000

1500

2000

time /t

2500

3000

3500

4000

Thickness /mm

500

Results
500

26

sc165lp initial thickness 0.55

24
22
20

400

16

300

Temp

65

18

kW/m2

14
12

200

10

modelling
measured
measured
modelling

100

8
6
4
2

0
-500

0
0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

-2
4000

time
40

sa365lp initial thickness 0.7mm

400

600

400

20
300
15

modelling
measured
measured
modelling

200
100

10

300

30

250

Temp

25

Temp / C

350

30

500

sc365lp intial thickness 1.25 mm


40

35

Thickness /mm

700

200

20

150
100

50

0
-500

500

1000

1500

2000

time /s

2500

3000

3500

10

modelling
measured
measured
modelling

4000

-500

500

1000

1500

2000

time

2500

3000

3500

4000

Results
Sample ID

Steel thickness

Initial thickness

Final thickness

E R.

Modelling
E.R.

Diff.

SA150LP

0.35

23

65

59

6%

SA250LP

0.37

20

54

SB150LP

10

0.79

40

50

48

4%

SB250LP

10

0.73

38

52

SC150LP

20

0.54

20

37

40

3%

SC250LP

20

0.65

14

21

SA365LP

0.68

25.6

38

40

5%

SA465LP

0.7

26

37

SC165LP

20

0.55

20.4

37

38

4%

SC265LP

20

0.62

26.6

43

SC365LP

20

1.24

35.3

28

27

5%

SC465LP

20

1.23

33

27

Summary
New assessing method based on this
model
Inputs for the model
TGA tests (Reactant fractions, chemical kinetic, T0)
Mean bubble size
Cone Tests for a beta relationship

the model can be used to predict


Steel-temperature relationship
Effective thermal conductivity

Future works
More cone and furnace tests to validate
and improve the model.
Different affecting parameters

More products from the market


Leigths Paint
Nullifire Fire

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