PERLITE AND
VERMICULITE
PRODUCTS
SCHUNDLER

TYPICAL PRODUCTS AND
FIRE-RATINGS
CONSTRUCTION GUIDE
The Schundler Company
10 Central Street
Nahant, MA 01908
732-287-2244 www.schundler.com



PERLITE AND VERMICULITE AGGREGATES

LIGHTWEIGHT, INSULATING AND FIRE-PROOF


By Bruce Schundler

Perlite and vermiculite aggregates have been used in fire-proofing products for decades.

PLASTERS Among the better known uses of perlite and vermiculite for fire-protection has been in fire-proof plasters. Traditionally "plaster" had been made from a mix of gypsum plaster and sand; and sometimes to strengthen the plaster reinforcing materials like horsehair was added. The problem with sand plaster is that in a fire the sand "explodes" and cracks, and can be easily destroyed.

In contrast, perlite and vermiculite plaster can offer a product which is both lightweight and fire-proof. For many years, these plasters were used primarily in large, urban construction where the combined benefits of weight reduction and fire-proofing were desired. They were especially used to fire-proof steel beams, columns, and floors.

In the U.L. Fire Resistance Directory, for instance, there are many ratings of up to four hours for basic mixes of gypsum plaster and either perlite or vermiculite for use around steel beams and columns, or under metal decks. Here is a sampling of these:

SOME TYPICAL U.L. FIRE RATED SYSTEMS
FOR STRUCTURAL COLUMNS
SOME TYPICAL U.L. FIRE RATED SYSTEMS
FOR RESTRAINED AND UNRESTRAINED ASSEMBLIES
SOME TYPICAL U.L. FIRE RATED SYSTEMS
FOR WALLS AND PARTITIONS
X401 -- 2 HOURS
X402 -- 2, 3 & 4 HOURS
X403 -- 3 AND 4 HOURS
X404 -- 4 HOURS
X405 -- 4 HOURS
X406 -- 4 HOURS
X407 -- 4 HOURS
X408 -- 4 HOURS
X410 -- 3 HOURS
X411 -- 3 HOURS
X413 -- 2 HOURS
N.B.S./BMS-135 --2, 3 & 4 HOURS
A406 -- 5 HOURS
A401 -- 4 HOURS
A405 -- 4 HOURS
D403 -- 4 HOURS
D404 -- 3 AND 4 HOURS
D405 -- 4 HOURS
D407 -- 2 HOURS
D910 -- 11/2, 2, AND 3 HOURS
D911 -- 2 HOURS
P405 -- 3 HOURS
P406 -- 3 HOURS
P909 -- 1 HOURS
U-201 -- 4 HOURS
U-203 -- 2 HOURS
U-316 -- 1 HOURS
U-409 -- 1 HOURS
U-413 -- 2 HOURS

Some of these ratings are for perlite, and some for vermiculite.
Please check your U.L. Fire Resistance Directory for the most current values
and for designs, listings of manufacturers, etc.

For more information about perlite and vermiculite in plaster, go to www.schundler.com/plaster.htm

Beginning in the 1950's and up to the present, many pre-blended forms of vermiculite and perlite fire-proof plasters have been sold under a number of different brand names---all with their own U.L. listings and benefits. Most of these are well known in the construction industry and among architechs around the world.



Sprayed-On Fire-Protection with Schundler Cementitious Fireproofing

The Schundler Company has been manufacturing cementitious sprayed-on fire proofing materials for over ten years. In the fall of 2003, it introduced some of its own brands:


FIRE PROOF DOORS AND SAFES

Perlite and vermiculite have been a major ingredient in most fire-proof door cores, and safes. Essentially they are used for the same reasons they have been used in fire-proof plasters---they are light, they are inert and inorganic, and they are fire-proof. The mix designs and formulas for these products obviously are proprietary, but the use of perlite and vermiculite is well known, and commonly accepted around the world.


MASONRY CONSTRUCTION

Masonry walls (8,10, and 12 inches thick) can provide 2 hour fire rating easily. And by filling the cores with perlite or vermiculite, the ratings can be brought up to a 4-hour rating! For instance, Underwriters' Laboratory Design No. U905 shows that a 2-hour rated 8,10, or 12-inch concrete block wall is improved to 4 hours when cores are filled with perlite or vermiculite. and both perlite and vermiculite loose fill insulation has been tested in accordance with ASTM E-136 and was rated non-combustible.


BASIC BENEFITS OF PERLITE AND VERMICULITE IN FIRE-PROTECTION AND FIRE-PROOFING

  • Lightweight - Weighs approximately 60% less than many sand products, so with lightweight plasters, for instance, there is a saving ofabout one ton (907 kg) for every 100 yd2 (83.6 m2) of material applied ½ in. (13 mm) thick.
  • Insulating - 4 times more resistant to heat transmission than sand plasters... permits savings in heating and air conditioning costs... conserves energy.
  • Fire Retardant - Non-combustible and non-toxic ... provides up to 5-hour fire protection with minimum weight and thickness ... more than 50 fire tested designs by recognized laboratories.
  • Noise Reduction - Reduces sound transmission between partitions.
  • Adaptable - Packaged in 3 or 4 cubic feet (85 or 113 liter) bags in the United States and Canada and in 100 liter bags in most other countries. Easy to measure, mix and handle... job mixing permits proper proportioning to meet different plaster based materials specifications.
  • Durable--Cannot rot or decay...strong but not brittle... endures freeze-thaw exposure... successfully used on major construction projects since 1946.



For more information, please call or contact either:

The Perlite Institute
The Vermiculite Association
Or: The Schundler Company

10 Central Street
Nahant, MA 01908
732-287-2244 or www.schundler.com
email: info@schundler.com

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