Intumescent coatings | Arkema Coating Materials

Arkema offers a comprehensive range of specialty chemicals for formulators of waterborne (WB), solvent-borne (SB) and epoxy intumescent coatings — from high-performance polymer binders to rheology modifiers, dispersants and crosslinkers. Our solutions cover both cellulosic fire and hydrocarbon fire protection scenarios, for structural steel in buildings, offshore platforms, petrochemical plants and more.

Arkema's waterborne portfolio for cellulosic intumescent coatings

From the Encor^® binder range — engineered for char performance and 1-pack formulation stability — to Coadis™ dispersants, Coapur™ associative thickeners and Ecodis™ wetting agents, every solution in Arkema's waterborne portfolio is selected to help formulators build coatings that perform both in the can and under fire.

Product	Chemistry / Function	Fire type
Binders
Encor^® 367	Vinylic emulsion binder	Cellulosic
Encor^® 309	Vinyl-acrylic emulsion binder	Cellulosic
Encor^® 2394	Vinyl versatate dispersion binder	Cellulosic
Encor^® 2341	Vinyl versatate dispersion binder	Cellulosic

Product	Chemistry / Function	Fire type
Rheological agents
Ecodis^TM P 90	Ionic Homopolymer dispersant	Cellulosic
Coadis^TM 615	Synthetic polycarboxylate dispersant	Cellulosic
Coadis^TM 123 K	Synthetic versatile hydrophobic dispersing agent	Cellulosic
Coadis^TM 790	Polymeric non-Ionic dispersing agent	Cellulosic
Coapur^TM XS 83	Solvent free liquid non ionic PU thickener	Cellulosic

Arkema offering for hydrocarbon fire

Arkema provides all the key components to formulate coatings that meet the most stringent certification requirements: Crayamid^® epoxy hardeners for char expansion and thermal resistance, Crayvallac^® rheology modifiers for anti-sag performance, Sartomer^® reactive diluents and MCure^® crosslinkers for cure and mechanical properties.

Product	Chemistry / Function	Fire type
Binders
Crayamid® 140	Polyamide epoxy hardener	Hydrocarbon
Crayamid® 960-100	Amidoamine epoxy hardener	Hydrocarbon
Crayamid® 195 X 60	Polyamide epoxy hardener	Hydrocarbon
Crayamid® 230 X 60	Adduct polyamide epoxy hardener	Hydrocarbon
Rheological agents
Crayvallac® LV	Micronised polyamide for solvent-free systems	Hydrocarbon
Crayvallac® REV	Micronised polyamide	Hydrocarbon

Product	Chemistry / Function	Fire type
Reactive diluents & crosslinkers
SR351	TMPTA trifunctional acrylate — high crosslink density	Hydrocarbon
SR238	HDDA difunctional acrylate — flexibility & hardness balance	Hydrocarbon
SR341	MPDDA aliphatic diacrylate — low-viscosity reactive diluent	Hydrocarbon
SR444	Pentaerythritol triacrylate — high reactivity crosslinker	Hydrocarbon
MCure® 400	Epoxy crosslinker	Hydrocarbon
Adhesion promotors
SR9054	Phosphate acrylate monomer	Hydrocarbon
SR9051	Phosphate acrylate monomer	Hydrocarbon

What is an intumescent coating?

An intumescent coating is a paint that reacts to heat by expanding and forming a thick carbonaceous char, which insulates the steel structure from heat, flames and fumes — keeping its temperature below the critical threshold of 500°C.

The 3 stages of intumescent protection:

Initial state (ambient): Thin paint layer (typically 500 µm – 30 mm) applied on the steel surface
Char expansion (250–400°C): The coating expands by a factor of ×10 to ×50, forming a low-density carbonaceous foam
Active protection: The char layer insulates the steel, maintaining temperature below 550°C from 30 minutes to 120 minutes

Key components of an intumescent coating

An intumescent coating relies on the synergistic interaction of four key components.

The acid donor — ammonium polyphosphate (APP) — initiates the reaction by releasing acid under heat.
The carbon source — pentaerythritol (PER) — provides the substrate for char formation.
The blowing agent — melamine — generates the gases that expand the foam.
The polymer binder holds the entire system together while actively contributing to char structure.

The role of the binder

In an intumescent coating, the binder plays a central and active role in the fire protection mechanism. At ambient temperature, it must ensure formulation stability in the presence of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), a strongly acidic flame retardant that challenges most conventional latex systems. Under fire, it melts at the right temperature to allow the coating to expand, then decomposes in a controlled way to generate solid carbonaceous char — effectively insulating the steel structure from heat.

For cellulosic fire, waterborne vinyl acetate-based emulsions are the chemistry of reference — Arkema's Encor^® range stands out in this segment, with vinyl versatate copolymers (Encor® 2394, 2341) delivering the best combination of char performance, hydrophobicity and APEO-free compliance for the European and Asian markets.
For hydrocarbon fire, the far higher thermal intensity demands epoxy 2K systems: polyamide-cured epoxy hardeners such as Crayamid^® provide the char expansion, mechanical strength and long-term durability required in offshore, petrochemical and naval environments — where fire resistance ratings up to R180 and decades of field exposure are the norm.