The FOAMGLAS® Melt-Shield Effect

Surface acts as a heat shield

Graphic of FOAMGLAS insulation not on fire

In the event of fire, the FOAMGLAS® surface acts as a heat shield thanks to the so-called Melt-Shield Effect.

When it is exposed to flames, after 30’, the surface starts melting but also starts to solidify or to "glaze" and as such absorbs the heat and forms a protective layer. The remaining mass of material thus remains undamaged.

FOAMGLAS insulation is incombustible
Melting point test: after 90 minutes of flame contact, a large part of the insulating core mass remains. This confirms the high-quality protection provided by FOAMGLAS®.
FOAMGLAS is fire safe
FOAMGLAS® interior insulation only shows superficial fire effects after a fire in a waste fermentation plant. As a result, the original building structure could be retained during the repair work. Without the FOAMGLAS® shield, complete demolition would have been unavoidable.

In the event of fire, FOAMGLAS® has an additional very important advantage: it protects the load-bearing building materials. In a normal fire scenario for reinforced concrete components, where temperatures of around 1,000 °C or more are often reached, it almost always means an irreversible reduction in structural stability. Therefore, buildings made of this material must be demolished after a heavy fire. This is different if FOAMGLAS® insulation is used. In the event of fire, FOAMGLAS® acts as a shield and will protect the behind positioned structure at least for 30’ to 90’ and beyond from the temperatures higher than 180°C or higher. This is not only proven in large scale fire tests, but also after real fire cases.

Melting point > 1,000 °C

Exposed to temperatures over 1,000 °C, in the first 30’ and beyond, depending the thicknesses as from 50 mm FOAMGLAS® insulation can be acting protective. According DIN 4102-17, in which the material at least 80 mm is exposed to a t° of 1000°C during 90’, the thickness reduction my not be higher than 50%.

An example: In a fermentation tower insulated with FOAMGLAS® as part of renovation and repair work, a severe fire occurred (2013). Experts subsequently assessed the static quality of the surfaces of internal walls (reinforced concrete structure).

The result: typical damage effects cannot be detected in the concrete. The recommendation is even that the concrete may continue to be used indefinitely.

Fireman fire

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