The coatings company Hempel has announced to invest in a new research and development centre focused solely on fire protection coatings. It will be located in Barcelona, Spain, and is due to open in Q3 2018.
Passive fire protection (PFP) coatings are increasingly important in the[ds_preview] construction and oil and gas industries Hempel stated. Applied to structural steel in large buildings and industrial oil and gas installations, the coatings expand to form an insulating layer of carbon char when exposed to high temperatures. This enables the steel to maintain its load-bearing capacity for up to four hours longer during a fire, giving people valuable time to escape the building and for fire fighters to put the fire out.
Hempel has several PFP products in its portfolio. These are coatings for cellulosic fires, Hempacore, includes both fast-drying and waterborne versions, and has been used on civil structures around the globe including airports, train stations, logistics centres, sport facilities, warehouses and industrial factories.
The new R&D facility focused solely on PFP coatings will enable Hempel to further expand its PFP product range, including developing PFP coatings for hydrocarbon fires, which are encountered in the oil and gas industry the company said. It will employ 35 technicians and scientists and will be located in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda near Barcelona, just 5 km from Hempel‘s existing Spanish R&D facility and Spanish head office in Polinyà, which was established in 1964.
