Fire protection material, high-pressure storage tank coated with said material, methods for preparing same, and uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a fire resistant material comprising a matrix of thermosetting elastomeric resin of the silicone resin type wherein endothermic fillers are incorporated as well as to a high pressure storage tank coated with said material, processes for the preparation thereof and uses thereof.

Claims

1. A process for preparing a fire-proof material for a high pressure storage tank, the fire-proof material including a matrix of thermosetting elastomeric resin in which endothermic fillers are incorporated, the matrix of thermosetting elastomeric resin being a matrix of silicone resin, comprising the following steps: a) preparing, at room temperature, a mixture including at least one precursor of the thermosetting elastomeric resin and at least one endothermic filler by gradually adding the at least one endothermic filler to the at least one precursor of the thermosetting elastomeric resin whereby a homogeneous dispersion is obtained; b) adding, to the mixture obtained in step a), an agent enabling the thermosetting elastomeric resin to be obtained from the at least one precursor, wherein the adding of the agent is performed at room temperature; and c) cold shaping the mixture obtained in step b) by casting, injection, or vacuum assisted transfer, into a mold on the high pressure storage tank to obtain the fire-proof material including the matrix of thermosetting elastomeric resin in which the endothermic fillers are incorporated.

2. A high pressure storage tank having an external surface only partially covered with the fire-proof material prepared by the process according to claim 1, wherein the high pressure storage tank is a type IV tank, and wherein at least one portion of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank not covered by the fire-proof material is either uncovered by any material or coated with a meltable material.

3. The high pressure storage tank according to claim 2, wherein the external surface of said high pressure storage tank is at least partially covered with an intumescent substance.

4. The high pressure storage tank according to claim 3, wherein at least one zone of the intumescent substance is replaced by a meltable material.

5. The high pressure storage tank according to claim 2, wherein the external surface of said high pressure storage tank is at least partially covered with a fire inert insulating material, the fire inert insulating material being in the form of a fabric or sock configured to cover said high pressure storage tank.

6. The high pressure storage tank according to claim 5, wherein said fire inert insulating material is covered with an intumescent substance.

7. A process for protecting a high pressure storage tank, comprising: applying the fire-proof material according to claim 1 on only a portion of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank, wherein the high pressure storage tank is a type IV tank.

8. The process according to claim 7, further comprising: applying an intumescent substance on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank, only the portion of the external surface of which is covered by the fire-proof material.

9. The process according to claim 8, further comprising: replacing at least one zone of the fire-proof material with a meltable material.

10. The process according to claim 9, further comprising: coating the high pressure storage tank, only the portion of the external surface of which is covered with the fire-proof material, with a fire inert insulating material.

11. The process according to claim 10, further comprising: applying an adequate adhesion primary coat or surface treatment on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank, or the fire inert insulating material.

12. The process according to claim 10, wherein all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank is covered with a meltable material.

13. The process according to claim 12, further comprising: applying an adequate adhesion primary coat or surface treatment on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank, the meltable material, or the fire inert insulating material.

14. The process according to claim 9, further comprising: applying an adequate adhesion primary coat or surface treatment on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank, or the meltable material.

15. The process according to claim 9, further comprising: covering the fire-proof material with an intumescent substance.

16. The process according to claim 8, further comprising: applying an adequate adhesion primary coat or surface treatment on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank.

17. The process according to claim 7, further comprising: replacing at least one zone of the fire-proof material with a meltable material.

18. The process according to claim 17, further comprising: applying an adequate adhesion primary coat or surface treatment on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank, or the meltable material.

19. The process according to claim 17, further comprising: covering the fire-proof material with an intumescent substance.

20. The process according to claim 7, further comprising: coating the high pressure storage tank, only the portion of the external surface of which is covered with the fire-proof material, with a fire inert insulating material.

21. The process according to claim 20, further comprising: applying an adequate adhesion primary coat or surface treatment on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank, or the fire inert insulating material.

22. The process according to claim 20, wherein all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank is covered with a meltable material.

23. The process according to claim 22, further comprising: applying an adequate adhesion primary coat or surface treatment on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank, the meltable material, or the fire inert insulating material.

24. The process according to claim 7, further comprising: applying an adequate adhesion primary coat or surface treatment on all or part of the external surface of the high pressure storage tank.

25. The process according to claim 1, further comprising: before step b), outgassing the mixture obtained in step a) to obtain an outgassed mixture, wherein the agent enabling the thermosetting elastomeric resin to be obtained is added to the outgassed mixture.

26. The process according to claim 25, further comprising: before step c), outgassing the mixture obtained in step b) to obtain an outgassed thermosetting elastomeric resin mixture, wherein the cold shaping is performed on the outgassed thermosetting elastomeric resin mixture.

27. The process according to claim 26, wherein an amount of the endothermic fillers expressed in weight with respect to a total weight of material of the thermosetting elastomeric resin is between 15% and 80%.

28. The process according to claim 27, wherein the amount of said endothermic fillers expressed in weight with respect to the total weight of material of the thermosetting elastomeric resin is between 40% and 70%.

29. The process according to claim 1, wherein the endothermic fillers are selected from aluminum trihydroxide (ATH), disodium tetraborate decahydrate (or borax), trisodium phosphate dodecahydrate, magnesium dihydroxide (or Brucite), Colemanite, a melamine monophosphate, a melamine pyrophosphate, a melamine polyphosphate zinc borate, hydromagnesite, a tripolyphosphate (TPP), resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate) CRDP), bisphenol-A bis(diphenyl phosphate) (BPADP), and mixtures thereof.

30. The process according to claim 1, wherein an amount of the endothermic fillers expressed in weight with respect to a total weight of material of the thermosetting elastomeric resin is between 10% and 90%.

31. The process according to claim 1, further comprising: outgassing the mixture obtained in step c) to obtained an outgassed mixture, wherein the cold shaping is performed on the outgassed mixture.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 presents different ways to provide at the surface of the high pressure storage tank, a meltable coating, non-fire protecting (cross-hatched zone) enabling the tank to be locally leaked to minimise its maximum pressure at the beginning of a leak and minimise any explosion.

(2) FIG. 2 is a photograph of a high pressure storage tank coated with a fire resistant material according to the invention.

DETAILED DISCLOSURE OF PARTICULAR EMBODIMENTS

(3) I. Material

(4) The material according to the present invention has been prepared from silicone forming the thermosetting elastomeric resin matrix and ATH as an endothermic filler.

(5) ATH is largely used in numerous applications for cost reasons and acts by endothermally decomposing at temperatures between 80 and 200 C., which results in lowering the temperature of the material and thus decreasing its degradation rate. Further, its decomposition releases water vapour which dilutes flammable mixtures and forms a shield to penetration of oxygen to the surface of the material.

(6) ATH and silicone used in the present embodiment are ATH SH150 Rio Tinto Alcan and Elastosil RT601 resin respectively from Wacker Chemie AG.

(7) II. Process for Preparing the Material According to the Invention

(8) The formulation consists in performing the following steps: the resin is weighed, 360 g, and then placed in a container under a mixer; the fillers are weighed, 600 g, and then incorporated little by little into the resin using the mixer propeller.

(9) This step is quite essential because the dispersion of the fillers needs to be as homogeneous as possible. The higher the filler level, the more difficult the dispersion. Once the resin-fillers mixture is obtained, a first outgasing may be necessary.

(10) Indeed, upon adding fillers, the propeller incorporates in the mixture an amount of air that should be removed from the mixture for the subsequent implementation. Once the mixture is outgassed, the adequate amount of hardener, 40 g, is to be weighed and the mixture is to be mixed again to be homogeneous. A second outgassing can then enable air bubbles incorporated during the second mixing to be removed.

(11) Once this last step is ended, a formulation is obtained, that is a finished product which requires to be shaped by casting.

(12) III. Shaping the Material According to the Invention

(13) The implementation on a tank consists in casting the formulation obtained in point II into the bottom of a mould.

(14) The bottle shaped high pressure storage tank is then placed and pushed into this formulation, the material then being distributed on half the tank. The material is then allowed to polymerise at room temperature or in an oven to have a tank protected on half a surface.

(15) The process should then be repeated to have a protection on the entire tank. Both half protections are then held to each other by natural silicone bonding. Thus, a high pressure storage tank coated with a silicone material wherein ATH is incorporated is obtained (FIG. 2).

(16) IV. Additional Treatment of the Tank Coated with the Material According to the Invention

(17) Intumescent paint such as Pacfire paint from Innovative Fire Systems can be placed onto the high pressure storage tank coated with the material according to the present invention.

(18) This paint enables a protective barrier to be obtained by creating an expanded carbon layer, thus possessing a very strong thermal barrier effect.

(19) The implementation of painting is made by simple paintbrush application taking care beforehand to use GE SILICON SS4004, a primary coat promoting adhesion. This primary coat may also be useful to maximise bonding between silicone and composite of the tank.