December 16, 2003  --  Volume 1, Number 8

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Innovation In Action

Fire Resistant Coating To Save Lives

Barrier Dynamics has developed a revolutionary barrier coating technology that protects against fire by coating steel, aluminum, wood, gypsum, and other building materials, recently completed stringent UL testing.

Headquartered in West Dundee, IL, Barrier Dynamics developed the flame resistant coating for building materials. Company officials state the coating will withstand direct fire for hours, possibly preventing the kind of physical destruction and loss of life seen two years ago at the World Trade Center.

According to Richard Stahr, a physicist and company president, tragedies such as the Rhode Island night club fire earlier this year may have been prevented if barrier coatings such as Barrier's StahrCoat had been applied. In that incident, exposed black-painted foam polyurethane insulation served as a fire accelerant, which -- when exposed to flames -- released toxic cyanide gas.

Geared primarily at the building products industry, StahrCoat can be sprayed, brushed, rolled or dipped on, and dries to a hard, flat, ceramic-like finish that comes in a variety of colors and can also be used as a paint primer.

UL Tested and Approved

Testing certified by Underwriters Laboratories (ASTM E-84) rated the non-hazardous, water-based coating with a flame spread of 0, on a scale of 0 - 25 (15 is average) and a smoke generation level of 10, on a scale of 0 - 450 (250 is average). The lower the number the better the UL rating. StahrCoat is also a mold inhibitor.

StahrCoat is a ceramic "intumenscent" coating, which means it expands under heat. The coating is priced comparably to other intumenscent coatings, available in 5 gal. pails 55 gal drums or larger containers. Customers must use certified application professionals to apply StahrCoat.

Reasons to use this life-saving barrier coating include it works in new buildings and renovation projects. It can even be applied to encapsulate Asbestos, removing the need for costly removal.

Multiple Applications

Barrier Dynamics is targeting fire inspection officials, architects and building executives, insurance companies and government as customers for StahrCoat in the coming year.

The applications for StahrCoat even extend to making Expanded Polystyrene and Polyurethane. "So far, Dow Chemical and BASF are extremely interested in developing this type of product,” Stahr says, and ASTM testing is expected to be complete in about two months.

Defense industry suppliers such as the Office of Naval Research, the Army Tank Command and General Dynamics are considering using Barrier's sound insulation product and their composite materials.

Find out more about the many types of coatings available by visiting www.barrierdynamics.com.