Perstorp highlighted its Charmor™ range of micronized polyols for intumescent coatings at the European Coatings Show in Nuremberg on 21–23 April. Coatings containing Charmor can help save lives in major fires by prolonging the integrity of steel structures. As building fire-safety standards around the world become increasingly strict, Charmor puts Perstorp in a strong position to help coating companies satisfy safety-conscious specifiers.
Photo courtesy of Sprend
Charmor polyols are incorporated into coating systems that are applied at a thickness of several millimetres, which under normal circumstances look no different from any other type of coating. However, in a burning building, as the temperature rises to around 200°C and beyond, Charmor reacts with other ingredients in the paint formulation to form an insulating carbon foam, or char, which expands to become several centimetres thick. This insulates the steel from the heat of the flames, and prevents or significantly delays it from collapsing. As a result, building occupants have more time to evacuate the building.
