Out of the fire with Pyrolan Expand from ADLER

Wood is the building material of the moment. Whether it's a school or a supermarket, a factory hall or an apartment complex: wood construction is booming. And that brings with it new challenges, for example in the area of fire safety. With the fire protection coating Pyrolan Expand, the Austrian paint and lacquer manufacturer ADLER has now developed a versatile, reliable and environmentally friendly solution for this.

Anyone who builds with wood will sooner or later have to deal with the issue of fire safety - whether in public buildings such as town halls, schools and hospitals, in escape routes, in train stations and airports, in the construction of exhibition stands, in the building of a store or in a theater. Pyrolan Expand from ADLER provides the ideal solution for many of these applications. The coating is easy to apply in numerous color shades; however, processors can also choose to emphasize the natural look of the wood. The coating is also completely water-based and contains no formaldehyde, biocides, heavy metals or halogens, so no toxic substances can be released in the event of a fire. Most importantly, Pyrolan Expand complies with B-s1, d0, the best fire safety classification according to European standard EN 13501-1 possible for combustible building materials such as wood and wood-based materials. 

The fact that Pyrolan Expand meets this fire class is due to an innovative combination of raw materials in the primer Pyrolan Expand Base. At high heat, around 300 degrees, a layer of carbon foam forms. This forms an insulating layer on the wood and protects it from the flames. This significantly slows the onset and spread of a fire. "In a fire, time is the decisive factor," explains Leon Cremers, director of ADLER Benelux in Heeze. "The longer the wood is protected, the more time there is for evacuation, a rescue operation and fighting the fire. And it is also essential for the stability of a wooden building that load-bearing structures are as protected from fire as possible."

Pyrolan Expand can be processed in different ways: the coating can be applied by spray, brush or roller. When the coating is sprayed, two work steps are sufficient: first, the primer Pyrolan Expand Base is applied, followed by the top coating Pyrolan Expand Top. This topcoat ensures that the fire protection function is retained for a long time and at the same time protects the wood from damage and dirt. This also makes it possible to subsequently coat previously installed interior wood elements to increase fire protection. In addition, Pyrolan Expand offers a lot of scope for creative ideas: "In the glaze variant, we have optimized the color for many common wood species, such as spruce or pine, in order to preserve the natural look of the wood. In addition, Pyrolan Expand is also available in several colors as an opaque variant," says Cremers.

Cremers sees great potential for the new coating: "At present, effective fire safety can usually only be achieved with technically complex methods. The alternative is often to cover wooden surfaces with gypsum board, for example, which destroys the natural appearance of the wood. Pyrolan Expand ensures high fire safety while preserving this natural character, creating numerous new possibilities for modern timber construction."