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A researcher from the University of Melbourne successfully led the development of a core of organic, incombustible and lightweight coating, a product that previously thought impossible to create.
Typically, a lightweight coating is made from organic, carbon-based composite materials, such as plastic, but these materials are inherently combustible. Non-combustible materials such as steel, ceramic tile or concrete are much heavier and more expensive to produce and install.
Kate Nguyen, head of research at the Fire Engineering group at the University of Melbourne, discovered that plastic insulation surrounding electrical cables uses tiny ceramic particles that activate and interact with each other. chemically, thus forming a heat-resistant network.
In partnership with the building materials company Envirosip, who commissioned the research, Mr. Nguyen began experimenting with different ceramic particles in the university's test kiln located in Creswick, to the northwest from Melbourne.
After several false starts, Mr. Nguyen provided expert advice for the formulation of a material capable of withstanding a heat of 750 degrees Celsius.
"After the first test, I was excited, but even after the fifth time, I still could not believe it," said Dr. Nguyen.
The development comes in the wake of the fire of the Grenfell Tower in 2017 in London, which claimed the lives of 72 people. In addition, the building industry strives to create a lightweight cladding material that does not ignite.
The material itself is lightweight and looks like a compressed powder. Pale gray, the tiny ceramic particles appear as black dots. At high temperatures, these particles mix with the rest of the material, making it dark gray and non-flammable.
The material has been tested by an independent testing facility approved by the National Association of Testing Authorities and has met Australian and international standards for the combustibility of building materials.
Envirosip and the University will now work to commercialize the development, which was carried out as part of the Center for Manufacture of Prefabricated Housing at the Australian Research Council.
"When you do a research, all the ideas will not be successful." Moving from success to commercialization is another big step forward, but we think we have come up with something special that will be meaningful to the industry. " said Dr. Nguyen.
This research was presented at the second edition of the Sydney Fire and Siding Safety Summit on Tuesday, November 20th.
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Material provided by University of Melbourne. Note: Content can be changed for style and length.
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