BARRIER STRUCTURE

Abstract

A barrier suitable for use in building construction materials. The barrier is formed from a plurality of members. Each member has a heat-resistant core or shell, a heat-reactive intumescent or flame retardant layer formed on an outer surface of the heat-resistant core, an antistatic and oil-phobic layer formed on an outer surface of the heat-reactive intumescent layer.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/626,039, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/662,655, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/213,265 filed May 21, 2009, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates in general to barrier structures, and particularly to a barrier layer with fire-suppressing capabilities for building structures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a panel and a mold for forming a panel according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a member of a barrier according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of as member according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of a barrier according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is as flow diagram according to embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of building construction according to embodiments of the present invention.

Similar reference characters may denote corresponding features throughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, embodiments of the present invention may be formed as a rigid panel 100, which may then be utilized to form walls, or other similar structures, in constructions of buildings and the like. Such structures are further described hereinafter with respect to FIG. 6. A panel 100 may be formed with one or more layers 102, 103 of well-known building materials, such as wood, metal, fiber reinforced polymer (“FRP”), sheet rock (e.g., gypsum board), etc., combined with a heat-resistant and/or fire suppressing barrier 28. A formation of a panel 100 may be performed in a mold 101. FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-section of such a mold 101, in which a panel 100 is formed. The mold 101 may be of any shape and depth.

An example of a formation of a panel 100 would be to place a structural layer 103 in the mold 101, then deposit a barrier 28 sandwiched between a second structural layer 102, either during or after the barrier 28 has dried, or cured.

The barrier 28 may be formed as a layer through the stacking of multiple sizes of Members 30, 32, 34. Each member 30, 32, 34 may be spherical, the members 30 having the largest radii, the members 34 having the smallest radii, and the members 32 having radii there between. It should be understood that the relative dimensions illustrated in FIG. 3 are shown for exemplary purposes only, and that a narrower or wider variety of members having distinct radii may be utilized, including members of substantially equivalent sizes. Furthermore, embodiments disclosed herein may comprise any one or more of the members 30, 32, and 34.

The spherical contour of the members 30, 32, 34 allows for stacked, interlocking arrangement, as shown in FIG. 1, the members naturally settling under the force of gravity into a gas-impermeable layer when deposited into a mold 101 when formed. The specific gravity of the members 30, 33, 34 may be in a range of between 0.05 and 0.5. It should be understood that the specific gravity may be varied, for example so that the overall weight of a panel 100 is minimized to allow the panel to be light weight and fire retardant replacing much heavier products such as dry wall. This compares to 0.68 specific gravity for traditional sheet rock or gypsum board.

In embodiments disclosed herein, the smaller spherical bodies 32, 34 fill in gaps between the larger bodies 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, each member may be formed from one to three coatings. A single member 30 is shown in FIG. 2, although it should be understood that members 32, 34 may be formed from identical materials, although having differing radii. A central coating or core 40 may be formed from a material that can withstand temperatures of approximately 350° F. or greater without melting. Although shown as being solid, it should be understood that the core 40 may also the in the form of a hollow shell or the like. The core 40 may be coated with an intumescent coating 38. In the event of a fire within a building structure, the intumescent coating 38, which may be heat reactive, expands, thus ensuring that members 30, 32, 34 form a vapor-impermeable barrier. Alternatively, the intumescent coating 38 may be replaced (or combined) with as flame-retardant material, thus providing protection for the core 40. Heat-reactive, expanding foam materials that are non-reactive with caustic chemicals and that can withstand relatively high temperatures are well known, and any suitable heat-reactive intumescent material (or, alternatively, flame retardant material) may be utilized. In the forming stage, the smaller members, as illustrated in FIG. 1, may fall into the spaces between the larger members, thus forming a nearly continuous barrier against escaping vapor.

As noted above, alternatively, the middle coating 38 (see FIG. 2) may be formed from any suitable flame retardant material, the flame retardant material replacing the intumescent material. The outer coating 36 may be formed from oil-phobic and/or antistatic material. Coating 36 may be further hydrophobic. The outer coating 36 may be formed from, for example, a high-density plastic resin mixed with an antistatic additive or agent. The antistatic agent is effective in converting the electrically insulating plastic into an electrically conductive material that does not develop a static electrical charge. Antistatic materials are well known. One example of such a material capable of being mixed with a high-density plastic resin is manufactured under the mark GLYCOSTAT, manufactured by Lonza® of Fair Lawn, N.J. It should be understood that the core 40, the intumescent and/or fire retardant coating 38, and the oil-phobic and/or antistatic coating 36 may be formed from any suitable materials so that the overall structure has a predetermined specific gravity (e.g., within a range of approximately 0.05 and 0.5).

The members 30, 32, 34 may have any desired size (e.g., within a range of approximately 1/16 of an inch to four inches in diameter). It should be understood that members 30, 32, 34 may include all three coatings of material, or may include any combination thereof. For example, intumescent and/or flame retardant coating 38 may be applied at a relatively large thickness, and thus may only be able to be applied to the largest members 30. In this example, members 32, 34 would only include the core 40 and the antistatic and/or oil-phobic coating 36. Alternatively, the intumescent and/or flame retardant material may be used as an outer shell for the members, rather than being solely formed in the core. It should be understood that any combination of the above-described coatings and materials may be used.

FIG. 3 illustrates embodiments of the present invention in which a plurality of the members 30, 32, 34 may be fixed in position by the addition of an outer coating of adhesive 62, such as epoxy resin, that binds the members one to another to create a solid formation of members that serves as the barrier 28 once cured. The solid formation of members 30, 32, 34 may be formed by applying the coating of adhesive 62, such as epoxy resin, to at least some of the plurality of members 30, 32, 34, and while still uncured they may be placed into a mold 101 until cured. The solid formation of members once cured may be of any three-dimensional shape or form (e.g., dimensions that enable construction and ease of handling) and/or to a desired thickness of layered members.

Referring to FIG. 5, a process of creating the members may be performed as a batch process using a tumbler or alternatively a prilling tower by starting, with a nucleus material such as a Styrofoam member of a suitable shape (e.g., spherical), which serves as a framework or foundation upon which the desired coatings are built up by adding each successive coating as a liquid which coats the shaped framework or foundation. In step 801, a coating (e.g., structural) coating (e.g., coating 40) may be applied as a liquid, e.g., epoxy resin (e.g., in the case of a tumbler, tumbling action causes members to contact and rub against each other, thus coating the members with the coating 40). In step 802, a next coating, e.g., an intumescent coating 38, may be added when the previous coating, e.g., epoxy coating 40, is cured. A next coating 36, e.g., an oil-phobic with anti-static additive, may be optionally added in step 802a when the intumescent coating is cured. Any number of coatings, from none to several, may be applied to a core.

Where it is desired to create as solid matrix of members adhered one to another, in step 803, an adhesive coating 62, e.g., epoxy resin or similar glue-like material, may be added. In step 804, while still uncured, the batch may be poured or placed into a mold 101 for curing in step 805 into a desired shape as determined by the mold 101. Alternatively, instead of a tumbling process for the final coating, the individual members may be added in layers in dry form to the mold with the epoxy resin sprayed, e.g., as an aerosol, on top of each layer of members, thus coating individual members, with the cured result being a solid form of members in the desired shape of the mold 101. Optionally, in an additional step 806, a protective layer (e.g., a textile or rubber material serving to protect the matrix of members (e.g., provide protection from the still or other environmental, physical, or chemical effects)) may be added to one or more surfaces of the solid formation of members, such as placed or laid upon the final cured shape, and may be adhered in place using a compatible glue. FIG. 4 illustrates such an additional layer 71. Additionally, well-known dry wall materials (e.g., 102, 103) may be applied to one or both sides of the matrix of members to form a building structure wall 100. FIG. 6 illustrates a non-limiting example of how panels 100 may be utilized in building construction as walls and other barrier structures.

Claims

1. A barrier system comprising:

a first layer comprising a plurality of members, at least some of the plurality of members having a heat-resistant core, a median coating formed on an outer surface of the heat-resistant core, and an antistatic coating formed on an outer surface of the median coating; and

a second layer comprising a rigid building construction panel adhered to the first layer.

2. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein said median coating is formed from a heat-reactive intumescent material.

3. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein said median coating is formed from a flame retardant material.

4. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of members are configured for adhering to other buoyant members.

5. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein the rigid building construction panel comprises wood, steel, fiber reinforced polymer, or sheet rock.

6. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, further comprising a third layer comprising another rigid building construction panel adhered to the first layer so that the first layer is sandwiched in between the second and third layers.

7. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein said antistatic coating is oil-phobic.

8. The barrier system as recited in claim 1, wherein said antistatic coating is oil-phobic.

9. The barrier system as recited in claim 4, wherein at least some of the plurality of members have an adhesive outer coating configured for adhering to other members.

10. The barrier system as recited in claim 9, wherein the adhesive outer coating includes an epoxy resin.

11. The barrier system as recited in claim 9, further comprising a protective layer on at least one surface of the first layer.

12. A building construction panel, comprising:

a first layer comprising a plurality of members, at least some of the plurality of members having a heat-resistant core and one or more coatings formed on the heat-resistant core, wherein the one or more coatings are selected from the group consisting of a median coating and an antistatic coating; and

a second layer comprising a rigid building construction panel adhered to the first layer.

13. The building construction panel as recited in claim 12, wherein at least some of the plurality of members are configured for adhering to other members.

14. The building construction panel as recited in claim 13, wherein said median coating is formed from a heat-reactive intumescent material.

15. The building construction panel as recited in claim 13, wherein said median coating is formed from a flame retardant material.

16. The building construction and as recited in claim 13, wherein said plurality of members includes a plurality of sets of spherical members, each of the sets having a uniform, unique member radius.

17. The building construction panel as recited in claim 16, wherein each said spherical member has a diameter in a range of approximately 1/16 of an inch to about four inches.

18. The building construction panel as recited in claim 12, wherein the second layer comprises wood, steel, fiber reinforced polymer, or sheet rock.

19. The building construction panel as recited in claim 13, wherein said antistatic coating is hydrophobic and oil-phobic.

20. The building construction panel as recited in claim 13, wherein said antistatic coating is oil-philic.

21. The building construction panel as recited in claim 12, wherein at least some of the plurality of members have an adhesive outer coating configured for adhering to other members.

22. The building construction panel as recited in claim 21, wherein the adhesive outer coating includes epoxy resin.

23. The building construction panel as recited claim 21, further comprising a protective layer on at least surface of the first layer.