FireCarb

FireCarb is an expandable intumescent graphite fire retardant additive that can expand when heated.

Expandable when heated

Minimal surface acidity

Non-hazardous

Non-Toxic

Pourable material

Stable Mineral

Firecarb - An Expandable Graphite Fire Retardant Additive

Product information

FireCarb standard grades

Please find our FireCarb product range including the typical properties per grade below:

GradesExpansion ml [°C]Particle Size
TEG-50030080% > 300 µm
TEG-37027580% > 300 µm
TEG-34525080% > 300 µm
TEG-31522080% > 180 µm
TEG-1608595% < 250 µm

Customised products are available upon request – these include delayed expansion (DE), high initial expansion (A), and modified pH (H) grades.

FireCarb packaging

Our FireCarb product range is available in paper sacks or big bags. Due to the products conditions no bulk solution is available.

FireCarb Uses

FireCarb is based on a high quality Chinese crystalline flake graphite; its structure is in the form of layered sheets of carbon atoms. In a process known as intercalation, an acid solution is placed between the carbon layers. Following manufacture, the material is thoroughly washed and dried, trapping the solutions within the platelets. The result is a dry, pourable, clean material with minimal surface acidity.

Expandable graphite

Expandable graphite belongs to a group of products called ‘intumescents’, the main property of which is the ability to expand when heated. On exposure to heat, the retained solutions within FireCarb produce a gas that expands and forces open the graphite platelets.

The tremendous expansion that expandable graphite offers (up to 350 x volume at 1000°C) makes it more effective than conventional intumescents. This expansion has the added benefit of creating high pressure, especially when mechanically restricted. At the same time, an insulating carbonaceous char is formed, which protects the substructure from the heat source.

Typically expansion starts at 170°C, and standard FireCarb grades demonstrate a good onset of expansion at relatively low temperature and a high total volume of expansion.

Mineral information

Properties of FireCarb

Physical properties of FireCarb:

Expansion onset temperature (°C)170
Carbon content (wt.%)90 min.
pH value4 – 7
Volatiles (%)< 12
Loose bulk density (kg/l)0.45 – 0.50

Expandable graphite origin

LKAB Minerals use high quality Chinese expandable graphite for its FireCarb products.

Expandable graphite toxicology

A non-toxic, non-hazardous stable mineral.

Industry use

Our customers use industrial minerals to improve constructions, increase safety and reduce costs.