Typically, lightweight cladding is made from organic, carbon-based, composite materials like plastic, but these materials by their nature are combustible. Non-combustible materials like steel, ceramic tiles or concrete are much heavier and more expensive to produce and install.
University of Melbourne Innovative Fire Engineering Group research leader Kate Nguyen has discovered that the plastic insulation around electrical cables uses tiny ceramic particles that activate and chemically interact with each other, forming and spreading a heat resistant network through the material.
In partnership with construction materials company Envirosip, who commissioned the research, Dr Nguyen began experimenting with different ceramic particles at the University’s testing furnace at Creswick, north west of Melbourne.
After several false starts, Dr Nguyen provided expert guidance in formulating a material that could withstand heat of 750 degrees Celsius.
“When it passed our first test I was excited, but even after the fifth time I still couldn’t quite believe it,” Dr Nguyen said.
The development comes in the wake of the 2017 Grenfell Tower blaze in London that cost the lives of 72 people and as the building industry globally works to create a lightweight cladding material that does not catch fire.
The material itself is lightweight and feels like a compressed powder. A pale grey colour, the tiny ceramic particles appear as dark specks. At high temperatures these particles blend with the rest of the material, turning it a dark grey colour and rendering it non-combustible.
The material has been tested by an independent testing facility approved by the National Association of Testing Authorities and has achieved Australian and International Standards on combustibility of construction materials.
Envirosip and the University will now work to commericalise the development, which has been carried out as part of the Australian Research Council’s Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing.
“When you are doing research, not all ideas will be successful. To go from success to commercialisation is another big step, but we believe we have developed something special that will be significant for the industry,” Dr Nguyen said.
Learn more: Electrical cable triggers lightweight, fire-resistant cladding discovery
The Latest on: Composite materials
[google_news title=”” keyword=”composite materials” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Composite materials
- Designing an infused, two-piece composite baseball baton April 26, 2024 at 11:20 pm
With its Icon BBCOR bat, Rawlings leveraged its experience in braided fabrics and RTM to create an optimized, higher-performance two-piece design.
- Stock market today: Nasdaq surges 2% as Big Tech leads rally after earningson April 26, 2024 at 1:10 pm
Stellar earnings from the 'Magnificent Seven' duo have reignited optimism for a rally, but the PCE inflation print could put a spoke in the wheel.
- The Future Of Tank Armor: How Composite Materials Are Revolutionizing Protectionson April 26, 2024 at 3:15 am
Tanks and technology have continued to evolve with an underlying premise of providing protection for those inside.
- Novel Anode Material Boosts Lithium-Ion Battery Performanceon April 25, 2024 at 9:16 am
Dr. Han Joong Tark and student researcher Lee Do Geun at Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute's Nano Hybrid Technology Research Center have devised a novel manufacturing method for ...
- Polaris Global Equity Composite Q1 2024 Commentaryon April 25, 2024 at 5:01 am
Global equity markets enjoyed consecutive months of gains, with the MSCI World Index returning 9.01% for the quarter.
- Aviation-specific battery system uses advanced composites to address electric, hybrid flighton April 23, 2024 at 10:23 pm
BOLDair’s composite enclosures, compression structures and thermal runaway management enables high-performance electric energy storage.
- Unconventional technology enhances composites important to automotive, aerospace and renewable energy industrieson April 23, 2024 at 1:08 pm
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a method that demonstrates how fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials used in the automotive, aerospace and ...
- Australian battery materials company plans U.S. manufacturing planton April 23, 2024 at 8:02 am
Sicona has confirmed it will develop its first commercial manufacturing facility in the United States as part of its ambition to become the biggest producer of silicon-carbon battery materials in the ...
- Global Wind Turbine Composite Materials Market Set to Reach US$ 25.4 Billion by 2032 with 7.14% CAGR Growthon April 17, 2024 at 1:41 am
The global wind turbine composite materials market is expected to reach a valuation of US$ 25.4 Billion by 2032, with sales growing at a healthy CAGR of 7.14% from 2022 to 2032. Scaling up from a ...
via Bing News