Fire Performance of Interpon D Powder Coatings

Reaction to Fire is classified through the European Standard BS EN 13501-1.

This standard classifies construction products and building elements from A through to F and determines their reaction to fire performance using data from a combination of 4 small scale reaction to fire tests, which consider extent of burning and damage, flame spread, heat release, smoke production and flaming droplets. For all construction products, the tests take into consideration a fire, initiated in a room, which can grow and eventually reach flashover.
In terms of reaction to fire, and in accordance with BS EN 13501-1, Interpon D series D1036 and D2525 are classified as A2, s1-d0:

  • A2 – No significant contribution to fire and will not lead to flashover
  • s1 – Little or no smoke production
  • d0 – No flaming droplets / particles

Building regulations, as defined by UK government’s approved document Part B: Fire Safety, requires materials to achieve either an A1 or A2, s1-do classification for ‘relevant’ buildings above 18m (above 11m for Scotland).   
BS EN 13501-1 test reports for the Interpon D series can be downloaded here:

How does Powder Coating compare to Anodising and Pre-coat/PVDF in large scale fire testing?

Whilst BS EN 13501-1 focuses on materials in isolation, it is important to understand how powder coatings perform when applied to a complete cladding system.

The below video provides in-depth analysis of how competing cladding finishes perform when subjected to large scale fire testing; BS 8414.
This subsequently highlights best practice guidelines for safe cladding and addresses some of the myths surrounding A1 and A2, s1-d0 classified systems.