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CUSTOMERS AND INNOVATION
THE GOLD STANDARD
IN STEEL PROTECTION
In 2017, Jotun enjoyed remarkable success in the sale of intumescent passive fire protection products that
both meet fire safety requirements and the needs of customers.
Steel, the world’s most commonly used construction material,
will start to lose its structural integrity at temperatures reaching
400 oC. To provide occupants of buildings or work sites time
to safely evacuate in case of fire, regulations require that steel
constructions are treated with passive fire protection such as
intumescent paints. These are specialised coatings that expand
when exposed to heat thus insulating the steel substrate
underneath from external temperature increases.
MEETING CUSTOMER NEEDS
Jotun produces a broad assortment of Passive Fire Protection
(PFP) products, including the thin-film cellulosic fire protection
Steelmaster range and Jotachar, a mesh free, epoxy PFP
solution. While these products have been tested to ensure
compliance with local and international standards for fire safety,
they have also been engineered to meet the diverse needs of
project owners.
For example, for project owners seeking to earn points
towards “green certification” (e.g. LEED, BREEAM, etc.),
Jotun offers Steelmaster 1200WF, a waterborne intumescent
coating offering 120 minutes of fire protection. Architects also
appreciate that this thin-film coatings system can enhance
the architectural design of the steelwork. The Jotachar range,
made up of two solutions, one for the offshore segment (which
demands jet fire protection) and another for the onshore
hydrocarbon industry, which requires protection against pool
fires, provides project owners with easy application, lower
maintenance costs and reduced structural weight.
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE
Jotun will continue to develop solutions that meet or exceed
regulations and satisfy customer demand. In 2017, the company
opened a new research centre in Flixborough, UK. The facility
is housed in a 1 600 square-metre, two-storey complex
featuring two furnaces (to develop the intumescent products),
laboratories, mill rooms, offices and plant space. The research
centre will complement the company’s existing R&D facility in
Dubai, UAE.
Jotun intumescent Passive Fire Protection test furnace, Dubai U.A.E.