Gulf Construction Online - Kimmco promises sound fire protection

Insulation

The raging inferno ... Oasis Centre.

Kimmco promises sound fire protection

01 December 2005

The selection of building insulation solutions should involve the thorough examination of the material’s fire resistance and toxic smoke emission in case of fire, says Kuwait Insulating Material Manufacturing Company (Kimmco).

“The recent fire of the Oasis Mall in Dubai has sent a resounding warning on the dramatic consequences that can result from using highly flammable insulation panels,” says a company spokesman. “Indeed, the fire is widely thought to have reached the foam insulation and subsequently blazed throughout the building.”
Explaining the devastating effects of toxic fumes in fire outbreaks, especially in high-rise buildings, he adds: “In a crowded building, a mall or a high rise, toxic smoke generated during a fire is often more fatal than the fire itself. In fact, while over 8,000 ppm carbon monoxide (CO) causes immediate death, only 300 ppm of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is fatal. These toxic fumes are generated from the burning of nitrogen-based insulation material such as polyurethane (PUR), polyisocyanurate (PIR).
“To make matters worse, the amount of HCN produced from nitrogen-containing organic insulation tends to increase with rising temperature, especially above 600 deg C (a level often exceeded during large fires).
“It is also important to point out that the so called ‘fire-resistant’ or ‘fire-retardant’ plastic foam insulations will still generate toxic smoke and have a working temperature limited to only 176 deg C or even less in case of polyethylene foam.
“In any case, all plastic foam insulation, irrespective of its fire-retardancy level, is combustible. It will act as a fuel to the fire and, at later stages, may cause deadly ‘flash over’.
“Mineral wool, on the other hand, is non-combustible, does not contain nitrogen, and resists temperatures of up to 500 deg C for glass wool and beyond for rock wool. It also acts as a fire barrier, which slows down the spread of the fire and provides valuable time to save lives, preserve properties and reduce the environmental impact,” the spokesman adds.
Kimmco – a subsidiary of Alghanim Industries, one of the leading private sector trading and industrial groups both in Kuwait and the region – has been manufacturing and marketing high-quality thermal and acoustical insulation products worldwide for more than 25 years under license of Saint-Gobain Isover. The company has shown impressive growth in the last few years and has become an insulation solution provider.
Alghanim Industries operates in many major activities such as trading and distribution of consumer electronics, food and consumables, automotive vehicles and products, industrial manufacturing, and engineering.