What is FireShield® ?

FireShield® is a glass fibre veil (or alternative substrate) impregnated with a low smoke, intumescent, fire retardant chemical. It is an intumescent fire protection, swelling up when heated, subsequently protecting the material underneath or sealing a gap in the event of a fire. Initially developed for an aerospace application by the Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composite Structures (ACS), Australia. This product is available for general use by the Composites Industry and provides an exciting and convenient alternative to current fire retardant resin additives .

How FireShield® Works

1. Achieve industry standard fire specifications

FireShield® enables your composite product to achieve industry standard fire specifications by simply placing a layer of FireShield® at the outer surface. Under fire, flame, or heat attack, a reinforced char layer is produced on the laminate surface, insulating the product and inhibiting the passage of oxygen, consequently smothering the flame.

2. Avoid the loss of strength and stiffness of the laminate

By placing FireShield® just below the laminate surface, this solution avoids the loss of strength and stiffness of the laminate inherent in filling the base resins with intumescent chemicals. Toxic gas and smoke generation are minimised, as there are no halogen-based chemicals. It is compatible with most industrial grade epoxy, vinyl ester and polyester resins.

3. Versatile substrate selection

A variety of substrates can be used to place the chemical into the laminate, depending on manufacturing requirements. When fire occurs, these substrates expand with the char as it forms, reinforcing the char and bonding it to the underlying layers of the laminate. The char layer does not separate from the protected product under turbulent flame attack.

4. Incorporated as a normal material into most manufacturing techniques.

FireShield® can be incorporated as a normal material into most composites manufacturing techniques, including pultrusion, filament winding, liquid moulding, etc. The fact that the usual resins can be used, makes the introduction of FireShield® comparatively straightforward. In exterior situations, or tidal locations, non-hygroscopic versions of FireShield® have been developed, to avoid any leaching of protection over time.