Fire protection element having a carrier fabric

Abstract

A fire-protection element includes a carrier material having a carrier fabric; an intumescent material, which is applied to at least one surface of the carrier material and which forms elongated structures when heat is applied. The carrier material has a carrier fabric having loops for receiving the elongate structures of the intumescent material that arise when heat is applied and for hooking together with said elongated structures.

Claims

1. A fire-protection element, comprising: a fabric comprising fire-resistant glass yarns, the fire-resistant glass yarns comprising filaments having a high surface area in the form of one or more fibrils or one or more loops protruding from at least one base filament; and an intumescent material comprising graphite flakes, the intumescent material being applied to at least one surface of the fabric, wherein under the effect of heat the intumescent material forms elongated structures that are wormlike and slightly curved to hook into the one or more loops of the fabric to increase adherence of the intumescent material to the fabric, wherein the one or more loops of the fabric have an average cross-sectional area that is 1.5 times larger than an average cross-sectional area of the elongated structures, which allows the elongated structures of the intumescent material to hook into the one or more loops.

2. The fire-protection element according to claim 1, wherein the one or more loops filaments protrude from at least one base filament of the fabric in a direction of the intumescent material.

3. The fire-protection element according to claim 1, further comprising a reinforcing layer coupled to the fabric.

4. The fire-protection element according to claim 1, further comprising a fastening layer coupled to the fabric.

5. A protective structure for a building feature, comprising: a fabric comprising fire-resistant glass yarns, the fire-resistant glass yarns comprising filaments having a high surface area in the form of one or more fibrils or one or more loops extending from a base filament; and an intumescent material comprising graphite flakes, the intumescent material being applied to at least one surface of the fabric, wherein under the effect of heat the intumescent material forms elongated structures that are wormlike and slightly curved to hook into the one or more loops of the fabric to hold the intumescent material on the fabric without aid of an adhesive, wherein the one or more loops of the fabric have an average cross-sectional area that is 1.5 times larger than an average cross-sectional area of the elongated structures, which allows the elongated structures of the intumescent material to hook into the one or more loops, wherein engagement between the elongated structures and the one or more loops of the fabric guides expansion of the intumescent material in one or more directions.

6. The protective structure according to claim 5, wherein: the elongated structures have free ends, and the free ends move to hook with the one or more loops when heat is applied to the intumescent material.

7. The protective structure according to claim 5, wherein the fabric and the intumescent material are flexible to conform for coupling to an outer shape of the building feature.

8. The protective structure according to claim 7, wherein the building feature is a pipe or cable.

9. The protective structure according to claim 5, wherein the one or more directions include a direction in which the building feature extends.

10. The protective structure according to claim 5, wherein the filaments have a flexible shape which curves.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Embodiments will be explained in more detail hereinafter on the basis of the attached drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a fire-protection element according to one embodiment;

(3) FIG. 2a shows a schematic diagram of a yarn of glass-fiber fabric with loops;

(4) FIG. 2b shows an enlarged photographic picture of a yarn of glass-fiber fabric with loops;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of the mode of action of improved adhesion between the carrier material and the intumescent material in the fire situation; and

(6) FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a further fire-protection element according to a further embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of fire-protection element 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fire-protection element 1 has a substantially flat carrier material 2, on which a layer of intumescent material 3 is applied. Carrier material 2 is formed with a carrier fabric of fabric material and, at least on the surface turned toward the intumescent material, has loops with large cross section.

(8) The carrier fabric is preferably formed from a fire-resistant material, such as from glass-fiber material, for example. The carrier fabric of glass-fiber material is manufactured by means of a glass-fiber yarn that has a series of loose loops, as is shown schematically in FIG. 2a, for example, and in a photographic picture in FIG. 2b. This glass yarn 5 has a bundle of one or more base filaments 51 and a large number of loop filaments 52, which loosely surround the base-filament bundle and thus form loops of various cross sections.

(9) From such a glass-fiber yarn 5, it is now possible to form a glass-fiber fabric as the carrier fabric, which substantially has a structure as is known from terry-loop fabric, which is known in itself. Possible fabrics that may be used as carrier fabric 2 are, for example, THS Loomstate, E-Glass Glove with a weight per unit area of 430 g/m2 as well as HKO Thermo-E-Glasgewebe PG410 Frottee.

(10) FIG. 3 illustrates a detail of fire-protection element 1, which schematically represents a boundary face 6 between intumescent material 3 and carrier material 2 after the action of heat. The expanded intumescent material has expandable-graphite structures 7, which stretch out in wormlike elongated manner and have been formed under the effect of heat from graphite flakes common for intumescent materials. The carrier material has loops 8 at its surface. At the boundary face 6 between intumescent material 3 and carrier material 2, the formed expandable-graphite structures 7 are able to extend into the loops of carrier material 2 and become hooked there. The expandable-graphite structures 7 of the expanded intumescent material 3 also engage with one another, and so both a cohesive intumescent material 3 and improved adhesion of the expanded intumescent material 3 in the loops of the carrier material 2 are achieved.

(11) In contrast to conventional fire-protection elements of this type, this effect is also preserved at the beginning of burnup of the intumescent material 3, and so falling-off of the resulting ash crust is reduced or completely suppressed.

(12) The size and geometry of the graphite flakes for intumescent material 3 are chosen such that the average cross-sectional area of loops 8 of the carrier fabric of carrier material 2 is larger than the average cross-sectional area of the elongated expandable-graphite structures 7, and so these can be hooked in sufficiently high proportion into loops 8. As an example, this is achieved by the fact that the average cross-sectional area of loops 8 is larger than the cross-sectional area of expandable-graphite structures 7 being formed, preferably at least larger than 1.5 times the cross-sectional area of expandable-graphite structures 7 being formed.

(13) As illustrated in FIG. 4, the carrier material may be equipped with a reinforcing layer 9 on a surface turned away from intumescent material 3, in order to achieve improved stability of fire-protection element 1 and in the fire situation to achieve a guided intumescent action in the direction of the side turned toward the intumescent material 3. Alternatively or additionally, a fastening layer 10 in the form of an adhesive layer or the like may also be formed on the surface of carrier material 2 turned away from intumescent material 3.

(14) In the mounted condition, carrier material 2 may also function as a housing, in order to achieve, in the fire situation, a guided intumescent action in the direction of the interior of the housing. Thereby, when the fire-protection element is disposed around a pipe, for example, or the like, the intumescent action can be guided in the direction of the pipe.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

(15) 1 Fire-protection element 2 Carrier material 3 Intumescent material 5 Glass-fiber yarn 51 Base filament 52 Loop filament 6 Boundary surface 7 Expandable-graphite structures 8 Loops 9 Reinforcing layer 10 Fastening layer