Vacuum infusion composites with PIN flame retardants enable lightweight, performance components for transport systems.
Peter Kornas, Büfa, summarised innovation in laminate composites for transport. A combination of PIN FRs, in particular mineral intumescents and phosphorus PIN FRs, can be used in paint, gelcoat, sandwich bond, resins and fire-stop backing to achieve the most demanding railway fire and smoke specifications EN45545 R1, R7, R17, HL3, without halogens or antimony. Train parts, large and small, can be molded, such as bodywork, bumpers, interior and seat parts, with high strength, lightweight and rapid production. Production costs and emissions are lower than for HLU laminates (hand lay up), and more reliable. Büfa is also opening the market for fire-safe laminates for bus and coach parts, despite the current absence of fire safety requirements: laminates currently used can reach heat release of 500 kw/M2 in tens of seconds and are completely burnt in minutes. Other future tendencies include water-based paints (posing challenges for intumescent FRs), conductive mods and electrostatic spraying of gelcoats and recycled materials.
See interview of Peter Kornas at FRiP2018 in pinfa Newsletter n°98.
https://www.buefa.de/en/composites/