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Novel test methods for studying the fire performance of thin intumescent
coatings

Conference Paper · June 2017

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Andrea Lucherini Cristian Maluk

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 IFireSS 2017 – 2nd International Fire Safety Symposium
Naples, Italy, June 7-9, 2017

NOVEL TEST METHODS FOR STUDYING THE FIRE PERFORMANCE OF

THIN INTUMESCENT COATINGS

Andrea Lucherini1 Cristian Maluk2

ABSTRACT
Nowadays, thin intumescent coatings are a dominant passive fire protection system for preventing
high temperatures of steel load-bearing structures during fire. A novel fire test method is used for
precisely controlling and gauging the thermal boundary conditions imposed on test samples. The
experimental methods or apparatus use arrays of high performance radiant heaters coupled with
mechanical linear motion systems to directly control incident radiant heat flux at the exposed
surface of test samples. The test methods aim at investigating fundamental aspects related to
intumescence and, in particular, a comprehensive experimental gauging of activation,
melting/delamination, transient expansion, and thermo-physical response of thin intumescent
coatings exposed to a wide range of heating regimes.

1 INTRODUCTION

During heating, thin intumescent coatings (or reactive coatings) swell to form a low density, highly
insulating foamed char, hence preventing steel from reaching critical temperatures that could cause
structural instability or failure. Such coatings are nowadays the dominant passive fire protection
system used for assuring fire safe design of steel structural systems; this is mainly driven by the
attractive appearance of non-encased load-bearing steel structure, potential for off-site application,
and great compliance with current fire safety regulations [1].
Thin intumescent coatings are thermally reactive protection materials and they are usually
composed of a combination of organic and inorganic components bound together in a polymer
matrix [2, 3]. The composition can be solvent-based or water-based and they are usually applied by
controlling a dry film thickness (DFT), no thicker than a few millimetres.
According to current regulations, the fire performance of a load-bearing steel structure protected
with intumescent coating is typically based on compliance to the standard fire resistance test, where
a test sample is fire tested using a standard furnace [4]. Moreover, procedures used for designing
fire safe steel structures using intumescent protected steel are derived from outcomes of studies
done by executing fire resistance tests [5].

1
PhD Candidate. School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland. AUSTRALIA. e-mail: a.lucherini@uq.edu.au.
Corresponding Author.
2
Lecturer. School of Civil Engineering, The University of Queensland. AUSTRALIA. e-mail: c.maluk@uq.edu.au.
2 Novel test methods for studying the fire performance of thin intumescent coatings

However, unlike other non-reactive protective systems, several studies have emphasized the high
influence of heating conditions (i.e. thermal boundary conditions) on the fire performance of these
intumescent coatings [2-3, 5-13]. In addition, some studies have shown that a slow heating regime
may have a negative impact in the insulating performance, or even shown propensity for melting
and/or delamination [5, 6]. Slow fires and low heating rates may also cause an incomplete
activation of the reactive material and lead to unsatisfactory insulation to the steel structure [6, 13].
In particular, prior studies have found that the activation temperature, and initiation of the swelling
phase, can occur for a wide range of temperatures, typically when the intumescent coating is above
200°C [14-16]. Furthermore, past researchers have done limited work in adequately quantifying the
heat transfer process within the expanding coatings, more particularly when exposed to non-
standard conditions.
As a consequence, the current design procedures cannot be applied in situations where the thermal
conditions yield by the design fire (for structural fire performance) are significantly different from
those imposed during a standard fire resistance test [4]. Conditions imposed during a furnace test
are potentially not the most onerous conditions for steel structures protected with intumescent
coatings and the design procedures must be revised before they can be used with confidence. The
research community is stressing the necessity for having a test method for a rigorous and systematic
testing environment that allows for the explicit fire safe design of steel structures [5, 10, 12].
The study presented herein shows a novel testing methodology for investigating the performance of
thin intumescent coatings exposed to accurately controlled thermal boundary conditions by directly
controlling the incident radiant heat flux at the exposed surface of the test samples. The fire testing
method offers considerable advantages over conventional testing [17]. The new methodology is
proposed to investigate specific features in the activation, delamination and transient expansion of
intumescent coatings when exposed to non-standard heating regimes.

2 RESEARCH NEED
Recently, several studies have proposed various approaches and methodologies to analyse the
performance of intumescent coatings exposed to varied (and non-standard) heating conditions [2, 8,
10, 11, 12, 18]. Various attempts have been made to develop mathematical and computational
models that can model the complex thermo-physical response of these reactive fire protection
materials. However, despite the progress made in these studies, the performance of intumescent
coatings subjected to different heating scenarios is still not fully understood.
Intending to contribute towards the knowledge-based fire safe design of steel structures protected
with thin intumescent coatings, this work aims at shedding light on fundamental aspects related to
intumescence; in particular, activation, melting/delamination, transient expansion and thermo-
physical characteristics of intumescent coatings.

3 TEST METHODOLOGY
In order to study and analyse the above-mentioned aspects of intumescent coatings, a novel fire test
method was designed and assembled. The test method described herein carefully quantifies and
controls the thermal boundary conditions imposed on the target surface of test samples [17]. This is
possible by controlling the relative position between the exposed surface of the test sample and an
array of high performance radiant heaters coupled with a mechanical linear motion system (see Fig.
1 and Fig. 2). Moreover, using this test method enables the visual inspection of the test samples
during fire testing, technically very challenging during a standard furnace test.
Two test setups using arrays of high performance radiant panels and linear motion systems, widely
known as Heat-Transfer Rate Inducing System (H-TRIS) [17], have been assembled at The
University of Queensland. The test setups allow for the direct and independent control of the
thermal boundary conditions imposed on test samples by controlling a specified time-history of
Structural Fire Safety 3

incident heat flux at its exposed surface [17]. The systems differ in size and range of thermal
exposures and they are denoted as “large-scale H-TRIS” (Fig. 1) and “mid-scale H-TRIS” (Fig. 2).
3.1 Large-scale H-TRIS
Sixteen high-performance radiant heaters are mounted on a frame, creating a 600 x 800 mm2 radiant
source of heat (reefer to Fig. 1). Each radiant heater has a dimension of 150 x 200 mm2 and it is
fired by a natural gas – air mixture. This configuration enables a heating system with high and
stable operational temperature, and outstanding thermal homogeneity at the emitting surface. A
mechanical linear motion system is used to control the relative position between the array of radiant
panles and the target exposed surface of the test sample. The computer-controlled linear motion
system is programmed to impose potentially any time-history of heat flux, limited by the maximum
proximity to the test sample. The system was designed to automatically control the position of the
radiant array with high speed and accuracy. The mechanical linear motion system is composed of
two linear rails 3500 mm long, with a total travelling stroke of 3000 mm.

Figure 1: Schematic illustration of the large-scale H-TRIS

3.2 Mid-scale H-TRIS

A single high-performance radiant heater is mounted on a frame, creating a 355 x 355 mm2 radiant
source of heat (reefer to Fig. 2). The radiant heater is fired by a natural gas – air mixture provided
by a Venturi mixer. This test setup enables an agile and light radiant panel array with high and
stable operational temperature and thermal homogeneity at the emitting surface. The mid-scale H-
TRIS follows the same concepts and principles of the large-scale H-TRIS. The mechanical linear
motion system for the mid-scale H-TRIS is composed of two linear rails 1500 mm long, with a total
travelling stroke of 1180 mm.
The mid-scale H-TRIS is mounted on a special supporting table. The supporting table is design to
allow the rotation of the test setup. The inclination of the sample holder and the radiant panel array
can be adjusted, from a horizontal to a vertical configuration (Fig. 5), set at steps of 15°, from 0° to
90°. The system was designed to study the influence of surface orientation and convective losses on
fire tested samples.
4 Novel test methods for studying the fire performance of thin intumescent coatings

Figure 2: Schematic illustration of the mid-scale H-TRIS

Figure 3: Possible testing configurations of the mid-scale radiant panel testing system: horizontal (left),
inclined (centre) and vertical configurations (right)

4 FIRE TEST PROCEDURE

4.1 Thermal boundary conditions

This section describes the thermal boundary conditions imposed at the exposed surface of samples
tested using H-TRIS. Within the scope of this work, the heat transfer is considered unidimensional,
following the direction of the principal heat flow.
For this case of testing steel samples protected with thin intumescent coatings, the H-TRIS fire test
method is able to accurately control the thermal boundary conditions at the target exposed surface
by simply moving the radiant panel array towards or away from the sample as necessary. Figure 6
represents a simplified schematic of the heat transfer and the thermal boundary conditions, where
q’’inc is incident radiant heat flux imposed by the H-TRIS at the exposed surface of the sample,
Structural Fire Safety 5

q’’net is net heat flux absorbed by the test sample and q’’loss are the heat losses due to convection and
radiantion.

Figure 4: Simplified schematic illustration of the thermal boundary conditions and the heat transfer
conditions of thin intumescent coating exposed to an incident heat flux using the H-TRIS test method

4.2 Pre-test calibration procedure

Incident radiant heat flux defined by the relative position of the radiant panel and the exposed
surface of the sample is measured using a water-cooled Schimidt-Boelter heat flux gauge prior to
testing. In the pre-test calibration procedure, the radiant panel testing systems are calibrated
according to the readings of the heat flux gauge placed at different distances from the radiant panel
array, which is automatically moved by computer control by the stepper motor. Incident radiant heat
flux measurements at various positions are collected in order to generate a curve of incident radiant
heat flux versus distance from the radiant burners. In addition, the heat fluxes are measured at
different locations at the target exposed surface: this allows for assessment of the spatial heat flux
distribution at the exposed surface and evaluate its homogeneity. The pre-test calibration procedure
can be conducted before each set of tests in order to minimise the influence of environmental
conditions, such as ambient temperature and humidity.

Figure 5: calibration curve: incident heat flux at the target surface versus stand-off distance
6 Novel test methods for studying the fire performance of thin intumescent coatings

Figure 7 shows a typical calibration curve of the large-scale H-TRIS test setup: it describes the
incident radiant heat flux at the target surface versus stand-off distance from the radiant panel array.
The error bars represent the range of deviation of the heat flux measurements due to the spatial
distribution and the heat flux gauge accuracy. In their current configurations, the large-scale and
mid-scale H-TRIS testing apparatus can impose a wide range of time-histories of incident heat flux.
The maximum heat flux, around 200 kW/m2, is limited by proximity to the exposed surface of the
test sample. These heating conditions can be compared against ‘idealised’ standard heating
conditions, for example those experienced by a test sample during a standard fire resistance test in a
furnace [4, 17].

5 STUDIES ON THIN INTUMESCENT COATINGS

The H-TRIS test method was originally developed to study the propensity of high-strength concrete
for explosive heat-induced spalling. To date, researchers in multiple institutions have adopted the
fire test method for the study of varied materials, e.g. intumescent coatings and timber [5, 17].
Within the research study herein, the H-TRIS test method is adopted for studying the fire behaviour
and effectiveness of thin intumescent coatings exposed to controlled time-histories of heat fluxes.
By accurately quantifying and controlling the thermal boundary conditions, thin intumescent
coatings are comprehensively investigated.
5.1 Activation and delamination of intumescent coatings
As above-mentioned, some studies have shown that a slow heating regime may have a negative
impact in the insulating performance of thin intumescent coatings, or even shown propensity for
melting and/or delamination. In particular, slow fires and low heating rates may also cause an
incomplete activation and delamination of the reactive material, leading to an unsatisfactory
expansion and insulation to the steel structure [5, 6, 13].
The current study aims at investigating and understanding the activation of intumescent coatings
exposed to slow fires, thus low time-histories of heat fluxes: constant, increase linearly, or
quadratic. This research aims at a comprehensive experimental gauging of the adhesion between the
coating and the steel substrate. Objectives of the project are characterising the activation of reactive
coatings throughout different fire scenarios and monitoring any propensity for melting and/or
delamination. The project intent is to propose a testing methodology to verify the activation and
delamination of commercial products exposed to several heating conditions.
5.2 Physical and thermal response of intumescent coatings
Thin intumescent coatings used for fire protection of structural steel members are currently tested
for product development and compliance in accordance to fire resistance standards (e.g. BS EN
13381-8). In particular, the performance of intumescent coatings is assessed by evaluating the
effective thermal conductivity (Annex E in BS EN 13381-8) [4]. This assessment method treats thin
intumescent coatings as a non-reactive insulation layer with constant thickness and it implicitly
assumes that thermal properties are only temperature dependent. Moreover, the method strongly
simplifies the response of intumescent coatings by considering an unexpanded thickness and
inaccurate physical and thermal properties, e.g. thermal capacity and density. Therefore, the
effective thermal conductivity method does not explicitly consider the insulation conditions of thin
intumescent coatings.
There are limited research studies that have performed a comprehensive experimental gauging of
the thermal and physical properties of expanding intumescent coating during testing. This project
characterises the thermal and physical response of reactive coatings throughout different fire
scenarios (Fig. 6). In particular, the transient thermal gradient inside the expanding intumescent
coating is measured and thermal properties, implementing an inverse heat conduction model.
Structural Fire Safety 7

5.3 Testing programme

Within the scope of the work described herein, 200x200 mm steel plates, 10 mm thick (section
factor As/Vs = 100 m-1), were coated with a commercially available thin intumescent coating. The
product is a solvent-based intumescent coating, designed for the build environment and available in
the Australian market. The thin intumescent coating was professionally applied with an airless
spray equipment to a dry film thickness of either 1, 2 or 3 mm, with an accuracy of ±10%.
Test samples are exposed to several time-histories of incident radiant heat flux using the H-TRIS
fire test method. Activation temperature, delamination, de-bonding, transient expansion and in-
depth temperatures of the thin intumescent coating are precisely measured during testing. High
density and precision thermal sensors are placed inside the reacting intumescent char structure in
order to gauge in-depth temperature distribution inside the expanding coating.

6 CONCLUSIONS
This paper describes a novel fire test method that carefully quantifies and controls the thermal
boundary conditions imposed on a test sample. The test method uses an array of high performance
radiant heaters coupled with a mechanical linear motion system to directly control the incident
radiant heat flux at the exposed surface of the test sample. This is possible by actively controlling
the relative position between the radiant heaters and the target exposed surface of a test sample.
The novel method is proposed aiming at investigating the performance and effectiveness of thin
intumescent coatings. Fundamental and not-fully comprehended aspects related to intumescence are
studied and analysed using the aforementioned novel fire testing systems. In particular, a
comprehensive experimental study was carried for investigating activation, melting/delamination,
transient expansion and thermo-physical response of thin intumescent coatings.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information
Technology at The University of Queensland and their support to Dr Maluk funded Philanthropic
Grants for Early Career Engineering Researchers, entitled “Real intumescent effectiveness under
fire conditions”.

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