REDUCING THE FIRE HAZARD OF FLOOR COVERINGS WITH INTUMESCENT UV-CURABLE VARNISHES

The paper proposes a methodology for evaluating the fire protection efficiency of floor coverings treated with intumescent compositions cured under UV LED radiation. Two formulations with different single-functional monomers (HEMA and IBOA) were studied, and fire tests were performed on samples of commercial laminate of wear resistance class 33 and flammability class G4 in accordance with GOST 53292–2009. The degree of thermal damage and relative mass loss of the samples were analyzed as performance criteria; the dependence of the results on the chemical composition of the compound and the thickness of the applied layer (approximately 150 μm per layer) was also studied. Experiments showed that the IBOA-based composition ensures more efficient formation of the intumescent heat-insulating layer, lower mass loss, and reduced visible damage compared to the HEMA formulation. A significant role of the coating thickness was established: a decrease in the layer thickness does not always reduce the fire protection properties and, in some cases, makes it possible to maintain the protective efficiency while saving material. The advantages of UV LED curing are noted — high polymerization speed, production of thin functional layers and preservation of the decorative properties of the coating — which makes the proposed approach promising for practical application and further research.