Product spotlight: Dulux® brings intumescent coatings to Australia and New Zealand

Dulux® Protective Coatings offers a range of products and solutions to help protect assets in the event of fire.

What are intumescent coatings?

Intumescent coatings protect structural steel in the event of a fire. Steel loses its load bearing capacity when its temperature rises above 550ºC. If steel is protected with an intumescent coating, its structural stability will be better preserved if there is a fire.

Which intumescent coating is right for my project?

It's important to select the right intumescent coating for both the construction and end-use environment. Dulux Protective Coatings' intumescent range includes:

Dulux® FIRETEX®

Coatings within the Dulux® FIRETEX® range are all rated to provide up to 60 to 120 minutes of cellulosic fire protection, including options for C1 to C5 atmospheric corrosivity environments as per AS/NZS 2312.1:2014. The range offers interior and exterior options, site-applied or shop-applied options, water-based, solvent-based and chemically cured options.

Promat Cafco® SPRAYFILM WB3

Promat Cafco® SPRAYFILM WB3 is a water based intumescent coating consisting of polyvinyl acetate resins and fillers. Promat Cafco® SPRAYFILM WB3 provides fire protection of up to 120 minutes in accordance with Australian Standard AS 1530: Part 4: 2005.

Proven and tested fire protection coatings systems

A key advantage of partnering with Dulux Protective Coatings is that we can provide a complete coatings system incorporating fire protection.

As well as the intumescent coating, we provide primers and topcoats that have been tested to perform together in the event of a fire. Our complete range of intumescent solutions is tailored to each project.

Changing the fire protection paradigm

According to Intumescent Coatings Business Development Manager, Roger Tobler, Dulux Protective Coatings’ intumescent coating range delivers a new level of efficiency and effectiveness.

"Several of Dulux Protective Coatings' intumescent products have been designed to be applied off site. Some, like Dulux® FIRETEX® FX6002, can be recoated or handled within an hour, offering huge efficiency benefits."

"Applying intumescent coatings off site represents an industry shift and saves a lot of time and money. It also minimises many of the safety risks associated with onsite application, because a fabrication or workshop environment can be more easily controlled."

Getting intumescent coatings right

Roger advises asset owners to always work with trained applicators who have the right experience and equipment to apply intumescent coatings.

"On top of checking our data sheets and getting the application right, asset owners and specifiers should contact the specialist team at Dulux Protective Coatings team, so we can advise on which products to use, and calculate the right amount of product needed for the project," Roger says.

"By consulting with us, customers can confidently achieve the desired finish, corrosion protection and other durability requirements at the same time as building in fire protection."

In detail: all our intumescent coatings

Promat Cafco® SPRAYFILM WB3 – Rated to provide fire protection up to 120 minutes in accordance with AS 1530: Part 4: 2005
Dulux® FIRETEX® FX2003 – A solvent-based intumescent coating for exceptional fire protection of interior steel structures in New Zealand, tested and certified to provide up to 120 minutes of cellulosic fire protection for interior steel, meeting local market needs and regulations.
Dulux® FIRETEX® FX5090 – For interior steel in C1 and C2 environments, this water-based coating is a low VOC and low odour option for on-site application
Dulux® FIRETEX® FX6002 – Ultra-fast drying and highly versatile, suitable for interior and exterior steel, for up to C5 environments
Dulux® FIRETEX® Platinum (formerly FirePro® 9300) - Rated to provide up to 60 minutes of cellulosic fire protection
Dulux® FIRETEX® Platinum-120 (formerly FirePro® 9310) - Rated to provide up to 120 minutes of cellulosic fire protection