Criteria of assessing the efficiency of fire-retardant coatings for polystyrene foam heat-insulation materials

This work presents the results of studies on reducing the fire hazard with regard to heat-insulation polystyrene foam materials by applying fire-retardant coatings to them using two methods: surface method, with which a protective layer is formed on the surface; and the whole-volume method, with which the saturating composition penetrates inside the material’s structure. As fire-retardant coatings, water-based compositions of inorganic substances have been used; and non-combustible mineral substances have been used as additives. Samples of polystyrene foam plates of grade PPS-20 (as per GOST 15588-2014) or (PSB-S-25-sel-extinguishing as per GOST 15588-1986) have been used for the research. The behavior specifics of the material treated with fire-retardant compositions have been studied during the tests on combustibility, flammability, and smoke generation. The criteria of assessing the efficiency of using fire-retardant coatings for polystyrene foam materials have been suggested.