What do Intumescent Seals do in Gun Safes
The word intumescent means to swell or expand, which is exactly what an intumescent strip does: it swells up when hot, filling the void between two surfaces to create a fire seal. These expand on heating to close off operating gaps around gun safe door leaves through which hot gas and flames could otherwise pass to the unexposed face of gun safe and cause integrity failure early in a fire test.
Usually there will leave 5 mm gap between gun safe door and frame, where will stick 3 mm intumescent fire seals remains the 2 mm gaps. When meet fire, the intumescent fire seal will start expanding to seal the gaps and prevent the smoke, high thermal and fire spreading into the safe to keep the guns documents cashes and luxuries inside away from carbonization and damaged.
What is the Difference between Hydrated Sodium Silicate and Graphite
RYZW is the trade name RESSA give to ‘Hydrated Sodium Silicate’ which expands when exposed to high temperatures. RYZW is driven by the water boiling, creating course steam blisters as the material expands. Graphite has many forms, RPB graphite based is the latest in a line of highly developed intumescent designed to fulfill the requirements 7 to 30 times expansion ratio. Graphite is driven by chemical reaction, giving a longer and more controllable expansion. Graphite in today’s markets are variable in the pressure formulation and can be almost prescribed to suit, a feature RYZW simply cannot match.
- Initial Expansion Temperature
Hydrated Sodium Silicate based intumescent seal will start to be activated from 120 to 150 centigrade, the seal profile runs and a rigid, non-combustible foam is formed which offers a high level of thermal insulation. Graphite based intumescent seal will start act from 199 centigrade and it will keep swelling after 370℃ because graphite fireproof performance will be better along with the temperature is higher after 500 centigrade.
- Expansion Ratio
How much will an Intumescent Fire seal normally expand?
The amount an intumescent strip expands varies depending on the different material. In contact with heat, the RYZW hydrated sodium silicate intumescent material expands in one direction to at least five time its initial thickness. RPB graphite based expand 7 to 30 times. However, this does not mean it will satisfactorily seal a gap that large. If the specification is performance-specified, speak to RESSA at technical department at [email protected] with regards to the gun safe size and construction, and they’ll be able to point you in the right direction.
- Expansion Pressure
What is the intumescent seal expansion pressure?
In contact with heat, the expansion pressure thereby generated and this ensures continuity of sealing, thus providing an effective barrier preventing the escape of any flames, smoke or hot gases around the perimeter of the fire-resistant element sealed in this way.
| Product Code | Intumescent Material | Expansion Pressure |
| RYZW | Hydrated Sodium Silicate | 0.9-1.5 N /mm2 @300 deg C |
| RPB / RPBJQC | Graphite based | 0.4-0.6 N /mm2 @300 deg C |
Conclusion
The gun safe is kind of important and common commodity in America and European countries, and will be bought from any online Amazon and offline supermarket such as Walmart and Costco. As the significant storage unit to store the guns, documents, cash and luxuries, gun safe is almost required by each family. The famous gun safe brands like Cannon, Stackon, Rhino, AMESEC, Liberty etc are keeping design the different colors, ancient or fashion style, different locks, different inner structures.. but only the same, people use the high quality intumescent fire seals like brand of Palusol and RESSA RYZW. Contact RESSA at sales department at sales@ressatech.com and they’ll be offering your the suitable seals solution fpr your gun safe.
