A paramount part of building design and planning, fireproofing improves building safety and longevity. Applied like paint, fire retardant intumescent coatings offer a relatively new option to protect your project. These materials shield steel and other substrates from dangerous flames, while standing up to other elements like weather.
But how can you tell which intumescent coating offers the best protection? A critical, but commonly overlooked measurement of an intumescent coating’s fire protection is its adhesion — or how well it sticks to a substrate — and its cohesion — or strength of the coating itself.
There are two ways to evaluate the adhesion and cohesion of paint: the tape test and pull-off adhesion test.
For thetape test, (ASTM D3359) cross or ribbon cuts are made into a coated surface, and a special tape is used to pull off the paint.
See what can happen when your coating has poor adhesion? Click the peeling paint to get our free ebook with more information on adhesion and intumescent paint.
• A steel plug, called a dolly, is placed on the coated surface.
• A large amount of pressure is then applied to pull up the plug and the coating.
• Testers then determine if the failure was adhesive or cohesive.
• The amount of pull, measured in pounds per square inch, is increased until the bond eventually fails.
• The higher the number, be better the bond.
“Ideally what you want to see is an adhesive failure because that means you’re getting the maximum strength out of the intumescent coating, and the failure is not within the coating, but rather at the substrate,” explains Tony Scott, Contego International executive vice president. In both tests, Contego received a perfect score — zero loss or 100 percent adhesion on both the cross cut and ribbon cut variants of ASTM-D3359. “You can’t get better than that,” says Scott. On the ASTM D4541, Contego showed 631 psi of bond strength. The closest competitor demonstrated half the adhesion Contego has, while most had one-third to one-fifteenth of Contego’s strength.
Contego adhered tightly to cut concrete core sample.
Fred Stack, president of Boss Construction Group, recently joined Lindsay Construction to test Contego products on a 6-inch concrete core sample. “It was amazing how Contego still adhered to all surfaces, even after the concrete was cut out,” says Stack. The core sample “looked like it was just sprayed,” adding that officials at Lindsay Construction “were very impressed.”
In a fire, the superior adhesion in Contego’s intumescent acrylic copolymer latex paint keeps steel and other substrates from reaching failure or flashover temperatures.
https://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.png00Lisa Schwartzhttps://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.pngLisa Schwartz2015-05-11 18:45:572024-07-17 15:24:12What’s the Best Way to Test Intumescent Coating Adhesion?
Are you in tune with the global initiative to build and maintain a better, safer environment? Big changes in intumescent technology have made a “green” fire retardant paint possible.
White is the new “green” with Contego fire retardant paint.
The recently made GREEN gains by Contego have changed fireproofing from the LEED nightmare associated with most fire protection products to a valuable LEED points generator.
Historically, “environmentally friendly fireproofing” was an oxymoron. From day one, most fire retardant paint formulas have been toxic, carcinogenic, and laced with high concentrations of VOCs. Products have been poisonous in the can and on the surface. This would translate to very toxic in burn conditions. Pressure treated fire resistant lumber (PTFR) was among the worst. According to USDA studies, the PTFR process was destructive to the lignins in the wood and would dissolve attachments, like screws and nails, unless they were stainless steel.
Clumpy, toxic cementatious coating
Then there are cellulosic and cementatious fireproofing materials. We’ve all seen them; they look like oatmeal when applied. The litigation list concerning these materials is lengthy and focused primarily on the constant deposition of tiny fibrils that get into the breathable air and are then inhaled straight into the lungs. Complaints in the majority of lawsuits have been centered on mesothelioma and other forms of cancer involving the respiratory system. In addition, when reading the MSDS of most intumescent coatings, the section
on health risks contain clear warnings of both acute and chronic brain damage and damage to the central nervous system. Not exactly environmentally friendly.
The reason for these unhealthy toxic problems is simple. The components that make various fireproofing technologies work— whether cellulosic spray-on materials, cementatious products, mastics or intumescents—are inherently unhealthy.
This was one of the big drivers when Contego began designing cutting edge solutions for the green market niche. The challenge was to find alternatives that performed as well or, in most cases, better than what was already out there, without the risks from the past formulations. This research led to our current formulation of ZERO VOCs (ASTM D4017) and ZERO TOXINS (BSS 7239-88).
GREEN isn’t the only advantage of Contego Fire Barrier Intumescent Latex. It applies at a fraction of the thickness (and weight) needed in the past and has a finish as smooth as paper, pure white in color and is formulated to accept any topcoat.
That’s why we say… WHITE IS THE NEW GREEN!
https://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.png00Lisa Schwartzhttps://contegointernational.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/contego-logo-redder.pngLisa Schwartz2014-12-12 21:20:452024-07-17 15:24:14White is the New Green for Fire Retardant Paint
At Contego we are frequently asked to provide an educational service for architects, contractors and applicators so they can have a better understanding of why Contego is the preferred passive fire retardant coating throughout the world. Contego often provides this presentation in the form of a “Lunch and Learn Seminar”. This popular presentation is designed to help those who specify and apply fire protection materials for steel, wood, foam, concrete and most other substrates.
Contego developed a new generation of intumescent paint technology that has re-scripted the entire product category. As a result, Contego has been inundated with requests for Lunch and Learn presentations. Since Contego is a small, privately owned business, doesn’t advertise, doesn’t go to trade shows and has never sent out any unsolicited direct mail, nobody knew about us except for those that found us web surfing or had a direct word of mouth referral. Eighty-five percent of our business is repeat business from those that have previously utilized our product, so demand for Lunch and Learn presentations used to be manageable. While we have done many of the presentations over the years, recently requests outnumber what we have been able to do by perhaps 200 to 1, so we came up with a virtual Lunch and Learn. All of the content from a typical Lunch and Learn on Contego intumescent is here in the video below, you are just missing the ability to ask questions (you can always call or email with those) and, of course, the sandwich.
However, what you WILL get from watching the video presentation is a lot of very interesting information about intumescent paint technology in general and Contego intumescent specifically. Contego has a rich portfolio of advantages over other intumescents/passive fire barriers that will be important to almost every project you have now and into the future. As you watch this, be prepared to forget almost everything you’ve learned about intumescent paint technology.
What’s the Best Way to Test Intumescent Coating Adhesion?
A paramount part of building design and planning, fireproofing improves building safety and longevity. Applied like paint, fire retardant intumescent coatings offer a relatively new option to protect your project. These materials shield steel and other substrates from dangerous flames, while standing up to other elements like weather.
But how can you tell which intumescent coating offers the best protection? A critical, but commonly overlooked measurement of an intumescent coating’s fire protection is its adhesion — or how well it sticks to a substrate — and its cohesion — or strength of the coating itself.
There are two ways to evaluate the adhesion and cohesion of paint: the tape test and pull-off adhesion test.
For the tape test, (ASTM D3359) cross or ribbon cuts are made into a coated surface, and a special tape is used to pull off the paint.
See what can happen when your coating has poor adhesion? Click the peeling paint to get our free ebook with more information on adhesion and intumescent paint.
During the pull-off adhesion test, (ASTM D4541) which is the industry’s more definitive test, this is what occurs:
• A steel plug, called a dolly, is placed on the coated surface.
• A large amount of pressure is then applied to pull up the plug and the coating.
• Testers then determine if the failure was adhesive or cohesive.
• The amount of pull, measured in pounds per square inch, is increased until the bond eventually fails.
• The higher the number, be better the bond.
“Ideally what you want to see is an adhesive failure because that means you’re getting the maximum strength out of the intumescent coating, and the failure is not within the coating, but rather at the substrate,” explains Tony Scott, Contego International executive vice president. In both tests, Contego received a perfect score — zero loss or 100 percent adhesion on both the cross cut and ribbon cut variants of ASTM-D3359. “You can’t get better than that,” says Scott. On the ASTM D4541, Contego showed 631 psi of bond strength. The closest competitor demonstrated half the adhesion Contego has, while most had one-third to one-fifteenth of Contego’s strength.
Contego adhered tightly to cut concrete core sample.
Fred Stack, president of Boss Construction Group, recently joined Lindsay Construction to test Contego products on a 6-inch concrete core sample. “It was amazing how Contego still adhered to all surfaces, even after the concrete was cut out,” says Stack. The core sample “looked like it was just sprayed,” adding that officials at Lindsay Construction “were very impressed.”
In a fire, the superior adhesion in Contego’s intumescent acrylic copolymer latex paint keeps steel and other substrates from reaching failure or flashover temperatures.
White is the New Green for Fire Retardant Paint
White is the new “green” with Contego fire retardant paint.
The recently made GREEN gains by Contego have changed fireproofing from the LEED nightmare associated with most fire protection products to a valuable LEED points generator.
Historically, “environmentally friendly fireproofing” was an oxymoron. From day one, most fire retardant paint formulas have been toxic, carcinogenic, and laced with high concentrations of VOCs. Products have been poisonous in the can and on the surface. This would translate to very toxic in burn conditions. Pressure treated fire resistant lumber (PTFR) was among the worst. According to USDA studies, the PTFR process was destructive to the lignins in the wood and would dissolve attachments, like screws and nails, unless they were stainless steel.
Clumpy, toxic cementatious coating
Then there are cellulosic and cementatious fireproofing materials. We’ve all seen them; they look like oatmeal when applied. The litigation list concerning these materials is lengthy and focused primarily on the constant deposition of tiny fibrils that get into the breathable air and are then inhaled straight into the lungs. Complaints in the majority of lawsuits have been centered on mesothelioma and other forms of cancer involving the respiratory system. In addition, when reading the MSDS of most intumescent coatings, the section
on health risks contain clear warnings of both acute and chronic brain damage and damage to the central nervous system. Not exactly environmentally friendly.
The reason for these unhealthy toxic problems is simple. The components that make various fireproofing technologies work— whether cellulosic spray-on materials, cementatious products, mastics or intumescents—are inherently unhealthy.
This was one of the big drivers when Contego began designing cutting edge solutions for the green market niche. The challenge was to find alternatives that performed as well or, in most cases, better than what was already out there, without the risks from the past formulations. This research led to our current formulation of ZERO VOCs (ASTM D4017) and ZERO TOXINS (BSS 7239-88).
GREEN isn’t the only advantage of Contego Fire Barrier Intumescent Latex. It applies at a fraction of the thickness (and weight) needed in the past and has a finish as smooth as paper, pure white in color and is formulated to accept any topcoat.
That’s why we say… WHITE IS THE NEW GREEN!
Contego Intumescent Paint Lunch & Learn
At Contego we are frequently asked to provide an educational service for architects, contractors and applicators so they can have a better understanding of why Contego is the preferred passive fire retardant coating throughout the world. Contego often provides this presentation in the form of a “Lunch and Learn Seminar”. This popular presentation is designed to help those who specify and apply fire protection materials for steel, wood, foam, concrete and most other substrates.
Contego developed a new generation of intumescent paint technology that has re-scripted the entire product category. As a result, Contego has been inundated with requests for Lunch and Learn presentations. Since Contego is a small, privately owned business, doesn’t advertise, doesn’t go to trade shows and has never sent out any unsolicited direct mail, nobody knew about us except for those that found us web surfing or had a direct word of mouth referral. Eighty-five percent of our business is repeat business from those that have previously utilized our product, so demand for Lunch and Learn presentations used to be manageable. While we have done many of the presentations over the years, recently requests outnumber what we have been able to do by perhaps 200 to 1, so we came up with a virtual Lunch and Learn. All of the content from a typical Lunch and Learn on Contego intumescent is here in the video below, you are just missing the ability to ask questions (you can always call or email with those) and, of course, the sandwich.
However, what you WILL get from watching the video presentation is a lot of very interesting information about intumescent paint technology in general and Contego intumescent specifically. Contego has a rich portfolio of advantages over other intumescents/passive fire barriers that will be important to almost every project you have now and into the future. As you watch this, be prepared to forget almost everything you’ve learned about intumescent paint technology.