Fire-resistant foam: features and scope of application

Fire safety is one of the main indicators of the quality of buildings. Non-combustible materials are used to achieve the required parameters that comply with all regulatory documents. Mounting fire-resistant foam serves as an excellent fire insulator, as it can be a reliable protection of the room from the penetration of poisonous gases and asphyxiating smoke.

Special features

Fire-resistant foam is a relatively new material. When applied to vertical surfaces, the sealant does not flow down under its own weight. It penetrates well into the cavity, filling them at 100%. Fire-resistant mounting foam tightly grabs with any kind of surfaces: with glass and polymers, with wood and cement, with brick and metal, with natural stone and cement blocks.

After insertion into cavities, grooves or cracks, the volume of the sealant increases, and upon completion of the solidification process, the mass becomes rigid. A similar property is used for fixing various frames, ducts, door and window blocks in a certain position. Construction elements enclosed in a tight ring of sealant do not change their position in any direction. Foamed space does not allow gas and moisture. In addition, the sealant serves as an excellent sound insulator.

A detailed review of the characteristics highlights the following points:

  • Preservation of useful properties after final polymerization in a wide temperature range (from -60 to +100 degrees).
  • Complete inertness to moisture. Neither the fungus nor the mold take root on the hardened flame retardant substance.
  • Increased strength in relation to other mounting foams.

The main advantage of this type of sealant is resistance to fire. With long-term interaction with open fire, the foam will still catch fire. The time until ignition is indicated on the packaging. Different manufacturers have different terms, for example, Soudal brand foam will start burning after 360 minutes.In addition, the material does not flow when heated, does not fall drops, and if it lights up, then after the cessation of exposure to open fire, it self-extinguishes.

The disadvantage of this material is the inability to resist the sun's rays - ultraviolet destructive effect on open mounting seams. To ensure the reliability of the foam, the seams need to be protected, so they are often treated with a putty or cement mortar, less often they are painted.

Kinds

Fire fighting foam is widely popular. Unique properties allow its use in various spectra of construction. Heat-resistant foam is required when equipping baths and saunas, various stoves, boilers, fireplaces and other heating devices, that is, everywhere where substantial heating is made or open fire is present.

Fireproof foam is highlighted in color - it is either red or pink. The color will tell you what type of polyurethane mixture is, which will avoid confusion with the application of less resistant mass to where the flame retardant version is required.

Not all fire resistant foam is the same - it is divided into several types.

By the time of use heat-resistant foam is all-season and winter. The first can be used in the summer and with frosts no lower than -10 degrees. Winter foam can also be applied at lower temperatures. The lower temperature limit for this type of fire resistant sealant is indicated on the packaging. Sometimes it reaches -18 degrees.

It should be borne in mind that in the cold the foam loses volume: the colder the air, the smaller the volume of the sealant.

The composition of the foam is divided into the following categories.

  • Single component. The composition hardens under normal humidity conditions. Manufacturers recommend spraying treated surfaces with water to improve adhesion.
  • Two-component. It contains reagents that make the mixture harden. At negative temperatures, only two-component mixtures can operate.

According to the method of using foam is household and professional.

The household option is used in small quantities exclusively for local repair of small volume. Substance out of the cylinder through the tube.

Professional mix is ​​squeezed out with a special pistol. Differs in the increased strength and heat-resistant qualities.

The material includes:

  • Catalysts responsible for accelerating the expansion of the foam. They allow to work in cold winter time.
  • Foaming agents that create foaminess, determine the consumption of foam and the rate of hardening.
  • The gas, under the influence of which the thermally expanding foam is pushed out of the tube.
  • Stabilizers that affect the uniformity of foaming. Stabilizers work correctly if the balloon is shaken well before opening.

Mounting foams are divided into three classes of fire resistance. The most reliable material is assigned a class B1. It is used in rooms with a maximum permeability of people.

A material with this marking has the following properties:

  • for a long time resists open fire;
  • does not support the burning process;
  • after removing the fire itself fades.

The second class foam is less reliable - B2. It cannot withstand the “attack” of the fire element for a long time and begins to melt. When this occurs, the release of non-critical amounts of toxins. Fading independently. Appropriate foam in rooms with medium traffic.

Class B3 includes flammable sealant. Its use is limited.

Consumption

Approximate material consumption per 1 square. m indicated on the sealant packaging. Take the manufacturer's data for a panacea is not worth it - the supply of foam will never be over. Not all foams, when applied to surfaces, give the same result.

Consumption varies depending on the following factors:

  • components included in the mixture;
  • sizes of slots, grooves, grooves, that is, from the parameters of the filled space;
  • method of applying sealant (professional gun or special tube);
  • the presence or absence of skills in working with foam;
  • the presence of a metering device;
  • temperature and humidity in the work area.

In construction organizations, when calculating the need for installation foam, estimators assume that the work is carried out exclusively by qualified workers and professional pistols under normal climatic conditions.

The following circumstances are taken into account:

  • obligatory moistening of the cavity being treated;
  • periodic shaking of the container;
  • uniform application of the material in the upward direction.

When determining the number of cylinders of sealant for processing the window frame, it is assumed that the thickness of the seam is about 35-40 mm.It is believed that for laying block insulation per 1 square. m accounts for about 10 liters of foam. As a rule, builders lay a decent stock, referring to certain specific conditions.

None of the instructions provide an accurate determination of the flow of sealant. All instructions are calculated approximately, averaged, fitted to ideal parameters for all possible indicators. Therefore, the manufacturer's data can be taken as an approximate test results. In each case, you need to remember that only the starting point is given, and the “extra” balloon will never be truly superfluous.

Such parameters as depth and width of the seam being machined have a significant impact on the flow of the sealant. If the seam is uneven, and its width in some places increases to three times, the foam consumption may increase several times. Reduction in consumption will follow with additional filling of the seam with other materials.

We must not forget about the ability of the foam to expand. Strong, medium and weakly expanding species give results that are very different from each other. Some in the polymerization process can increase fivefold, others - only three or only two times.

Expansion ability depends on foam manufacturers. In some cases, even one package is enough to handle the whole window, while in others, two cylinders are not enough.

Scope of application

The use of fire-resistant mounting foams is justified in places where regulations require strict adherence to fire safety.

Foams fill seams, gaps, including deaf, in firebreaks.

In order to impart smoke-tightness and fire-resistance of foam structures:

  • sealing window and door frames;
  • fill voids in the walls and floors;
  • foaming holes around electrical conductors, switches, plugs and sockets;
  • used as a seal cracks when installing the chimney and dormer windows.

With it, glue insulating materials. It absorbs noise and sounds, improves the quality of heat insulators in air conditioning systems, as well as in cooling networks. Fire-fighting mixture is used for cable penetrations, it is processed seams when installing furnaces and other heating equipment.

Regardless of the material on which the foam is applied (concrete, brick or wood), the preferred joint width should be between 3 and 10 cm.The optimum temperature of the treated surface for high-quality sealing of cracks and gaps is considered to be the range of the positive temperature of 5-30 degrees.

Persons who started repairing their own need to know that foam cannot be used until the cylinder and its contents have reached +10 degrees. The sealant will perform the functions assigned to it, if its temperature is established within 10-30 degrees.

If the foam was brought from the cold, then you need to keep it warm for a while. Forced heating of the balloon will damage the mixture.

Manufacturers

The presence of a large number of manufacturers contributes to the appearance on the market of an abundance of mounting foams with different characteristics. For example, DF foam (Item DF1201) is classified as combustible with a fire resistance of 150 minutes. It has a pink color, packed in a balloon with a volume of 0.740 l. At the exit forms about 25 liters of foam.

Unlike CP 620 DF foam. This material is thermally expanding, two-component. The foam output is 1.9 liters. It is used in hard-to-reach places and where it is necessary to create reliable insulation from smoke, steam and water. It is used to insulate cables.

Nullifire - professional foam with a red tint, has the highest class of fire resistance B1. The period from the moment of exposure to open fire to fire is 4 hours. Formed on modified polyurethane and non-combustible gas.

It is used in the construction of chimneys, pipe and cable wiring, fire doors. Perfectly keeps on any surfaces. The output of the mixture is about 42 liters.

Two component foam Hilti 660 used in various cases. It is versatile, able to protect any penetrations from fire and smoke. Fire resistance is maintained for three hours. The heat-expanding mass is red, supplied with 325 ml cartridges. The yield is 2.1 liters.

Rush Firestop Flex 65 - foam moderately flammable, one-component. Differs in uniformity of a mix exit from a cylinder, high heat-insulating properties of seams.

The scope of this composition - translucent structures. Used to seal building structures. Low adhesion with PTFE, polyethylene and propylene. High adhesion with brick, stone, concrete, wood.

Estonian foam Penosil brands designed to seal and isolate the joints of fire resistant structures. Means is suitable for sealing of tile roofs. The material maintains tightness when heated for three hours. Recommended for installation of fireproof doors.

Nullifire FF197 - one-component mixture of flammability class B1. It is used for insulation, sealing, filling and warming the joints and seams of fire-hazardous structures. Suitable for surfaces made of synthetic materials, including foam, cable sheaths, plastic. Perfectly grabs with a stone, concrete, metal, a brick, a tree.

Company Profflex - Russian manufacturer. Polyurethane foam with the same name is intended for both domestic and professional use. All-season material, can be applied at sub-zero temperatures (up to -15 degrees).

Remontix fire-resistant material with a flammability limit of 240 minutes. Hardens after 10 minutes, fully polymerized after application in a day. It requires processing, as it is afraid of ultraviolet. Output at a temperature of +23 degrees can reach 65 liters.

Tips

When choosing a foam, preference should be given to well-known proven manufacturers.

Need to pay attention to the cost of the goods and the volume of the cylinder. Different manufacturers have significantly different volume, while the price may be the same.

Foam the better, the longer able to resist ignition. For the installation of fireplaces and stoves, it is worth purchasing a B1 flammability class foam. If foam is required to insulate thermal, plumbing or sewage networks, it is possible to limit the flammability of B2.

Before applying the foam you need to clean the working surfaces. Adhesion will be better if the foaming points are moistened with water. However, the presence of water droplets is unacceptable. The priming of surfaces also contributes to a better fit of the sealant.

Store the cylinders must be in an upright position, also need to monitor the shelf life. Shake before use.

The first foam output is trial. When the mixture is equalized, you can proceed to sealing, with the cylinder should be at an angle of 90 degrees to the treated surface. The groove needs to be filled by one third, two thirds will be filled when the foam expands.

Using a professional pistol instead of a tube allows you to work efficiently, while the foam is fed into the grooves more evenly.

It is not necessary to engage in sealing in the cold, if this is not absolutely necessary, because winter work is much more expensive. In the warm season, costs are reduced due to the fact that the foam expands much better at positive temperatures. The optimum temperature for work and foam is the range from +20 to +23 degrees.

See the following video for the difference between conventional foam and fire resistant foam.

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Information provided for reference purposes. For construction issues, always consult a specialist.

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