Investigation of the flame retardant properties of intumescent materials used at industrial facilities in the Arctic region with accelerated aging

Introduction. The use of fire-resistant materials at industrial facilities located in the Arctic region requires a special approach to the study of their performance in conditions of low temperatures and aggressive environment. In this regard, the issue of assessing the fire-resistant capacity of fire-protection means appears to be in demand and relevant.

Aims and purposes. This work is aimed at the study of the preservation of fire-resistant properties of fire-­resistant material under the influence of climatic factors in the conditions of an open industrial environment. To achieve the purpose of the study, the following tasks were performed:

• artificial aging of fire-resistant coating specimens was carried out in accordance with the applied methods for 5, 15 and 25 years;
• the resistance to the influence of weather factors and the preservation of fire-resistant characteristics of materials during their use by thermal analysis methods has been investigated;
• the fire-retardant effectiveness of the specimens after accelerated artificial aging, simulating long-term operation, was evaluated.

Methods. The following methods were used to study the preservation of the fire-retardant properties of the analyzed coating specimens:

• the method of artificial climatic aging;
• the methods of synchronous thermal analysis;
• the method of assessing fire-retardant effectiveness.

Results. The results of testing the analyzed specimens of fire-resistant materials under artificial accelerated aging showed a slight deterioration in the fire-resistant properties of the coating as the number of cycles increased. It was concluded that the above methods can be used to qualitatively assess the preservation of the fire-resistant properties of the studied materials.

Conclusion. The conducted experimental studies confirm that the analyzed coatings retain their fire-resistant properties, provided that the requirements specified in the technical documentation are met. Therefore, the studied intumescent fire-resistant material can be recommended for industrial facilities located in regions with predominantly low temperatures.

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