New Eco-Friendly Inorganic Polymeric Materials for the Passive Fire Protection of Structures

Passive fire protection of structures is of great importance nowadays. Several fires that broke out in buildings and other structures like tunnels, worldwide, resulted in the destruction of structures and more importantly, in the loss of human lives. However, the high cost of commercial fire-resistant products for construction often makes their application prohibitive. This paper deals with the development of new fire-resistant inorganic polymers (or geopolymers) based on recycled construction and demolition ceramic wastes, through the geopolymerization technology, which achieves a drastic reduction of energy use and CO₂ emissions, in comparison to the production technologies currently used for commercial fire-resistant products. The developed materials were tested at high temperatures, which simulated the anticipated temperatures developed in a fire case and their mechanical and physical properties were evaluated. According to the results, the developed geopolymers kept their form and shape up to 1050 °C, appearing with only negligible surface cracks, without phenomena of apparent deformation or creeping. The residual compressive strength of the developed materials ranged from 20 to 38 MPa, while their density was measured from 1430 to 1570 kg/cm³, and their mass loss in between 4 and 10%, after their thermal testing at 1050 °C. Based on the findings of this study, the new materials are promising for the passive fire protection of buildings and constructions in comparison with conventional materials currently used in such applications.