Improving the safety of oil and gas facilities by improving flame retardants

Introduction. One of the ways to reduce the fire hazard at industrial facilities is the application of intumescent coatings. It is known that intumescent compositions are multicomponent composite materials, whose effectiveness is due to complex chemical transformations of the components of the studied flame retardant exposed to high temperatures. In this regard, the problem of studying the physicochemical processes and thermophysical characteristics of flame retardant thermal expansion materials is in demand and relevant. The purpose of this article is to analyze the thermophysical properties of water- and acrylic compound-based intumescent flame retardants to improve the safety of oil and gas facilities. To accomplish this purpose, the following objectives were attained: studying acrylic dispersion-based intumescent flame retardant materials using methods of thermal analysis; analyzing aqueous dispersion-based intumescent flame retardant materials using methods of thermal analysis; making a comparative analysis of the thermo-oxidative degradation of the studied flame retardant materials. Methods. During the study, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and quadrupole mass spectrometry were chosen as the main methods. Results. As a result of the studies performed using methods of synchronous thermal analysis of water- and acrylic compound-based intumescent flame retardants, the similarity of ongoing physicochemical processes was identified, including the presence of four main stages of mass loss and a high exothermic effect. This high thermal effect has proven high flammability of the studied flame retardant materials. Conclusions. Following the analysis, the authors have concluded that intumescent flame retardants, containing acrylic vinyl acetate emulsion and aqueous dispersion, begin to lose their performance characteristics, necessary for a flame retardant material, when the temperature reaches approximately ~600 °C.