Fire-resistant coating to prevent failure in steel building fires

The research team includes Dr. Indraneel S. Zope and Ng Yan Hao from NTU, as well as Ng Kian Wee, Principal Engineer at JTC’s Civil and Structural Department, who contributed his experience from engineering projects. The interdisciplinary angle linking the materials to structures was a vital facet of this research.

The team said the knowledge that they have obtained over the years of research on the different aspects of polymers and combustion, combined with civil and structural engineering experience, helped to streamline their approach.
The strength of their coating comes from a balanced mix of additives, which work well together to give off simultaneous chemical reactions when faced with extremely high temperatures. They knew that they had found the right formula when they were able to coat steel samples evenly with a spray gun.
“In a fire, our coating forms a compact charred layer that acts as a protective barrier against the heat,” added Prof Dasari, who is also a Principal Investigator at the NTU-JTC Industrial Infrastructure Innovation Center (I3 Center).

“While typical fire coatings will also form a charred layer, those are thick and foam-like, which can fall off easily and leave the steel exposed to the fire. What we aimed at was an innovative coat that works differently from conventional intumescent coatings and can stick to the steel surface for as long as possible under high temperatures, and yet has durability and weather resistance under normal conditions without a need for a top coat of paint.”

Koh Chwee, Director, Technical Services Division of JTC and Co-Director of the I3 Center, said that through collaboration with academic institutions like NTU, JTC aims to develop new and innovative solutions to enhance safety and construction productivity for its industrial infrastructure projects.

“The ease of application of this new fire and corrosion resistant coating on steel structures will help reduce labor-intensive work, thus improving productivity and enabling faster coating of prefabricated steel components. More importantly, the new coating’s ability to maintain superior adhesion under high temperatures leads to increased building safety for occupants. We are confident that the new coating will be able to reduce both paint material and labor costs, and become a new alternative to other fire protection products,” said Koh.

Professor Chu Jian, Interim Co-Director of the I3 Center said, this invention is one of the successful examples of academia and industry research partnerships, as NTU is able to tap on relevant industry know-how from JTC while providing technological knowledge and research expertise to develop an innovative solution that will benefit the building and construction sector.

Combination of materials used for coating
The base material of the new coating is made of synthetic resins, which are polymers commonly used to make paints. To give it fire and corrosion-resistant properties, Prof. Dasari’s team added a combination of common chemicals, including one that is endothermic – absorbing heat to start a chemical reaction that cause the coating to adhere firmly to the steel.

The team went further to develop a coating that is able to have assorted colors; pigments can be added to the mixture so it achieves the aesthetic function of normal paint.

Paint manufacturers looking to add the benefits of FiroShield to their products should find that commercialization is straightforward, as the innovation relies simply on the addition of key chemicals into their paint manufacturing process.

For the next phase of development, FiroShield will be sent to the UK for an industry certification, which includes a load-bearing fire test that no facilities in Singapore can do currently.

Its proprietary formulation has been filed with NTU’s innovation and enterprise arm, NTUitive, and upon the completion of the certification, NTUitive will work with JTC to explore commercialization options.

After the certification, which is expected to be completed by April 2018, the new coating will be applied on steel structures within the upcoming JTC Logistics Hub. The joint research team will also work with the relevant agencies to roll out this technology on a larger scale.

Building on this technology, Asst Prof. Dasari will also work with JTC at the I3 Center to develop another type of innovative coating for the construction and building industry, which addresses even more properties beyond fire and corrosion resistance. 

Established in 2011, the NTU-JTC I3 Center aims to pioneer cutting-edge industrial infrastructure solutions to address challenges faced by Singapore and its companies in areas such as safety, productivity as well as manpower and resource constraints.