Belgian coating manufacturer Acotec launches revolutionary one-coat PFP with Humidur® Char

• New revolutionary way of protecting Oil & Gas assets and similar structures against fire with Humidur® Char
• A one-coat PFP application brings value and benefits for the global Oil, Gas & Chemical industries
• Cost-effective PFP solution without compromising safety
• A new sustainable PFP coating system Humidur® Char will forever change the way PFP is applied

Humidur® Char, launched by Acotec, is a two-component, solvent-free, 100% solids, polyamine cured epoxy PFP system, which offers anti-corrosion and fire resistance properties by intumescent action in just one coat. A major difference with the traditional PFP coating process, that requires up to 5 coats.

Another key benefit is that Humidur® Char can be applied in one layer on minimum preparation standards, with no primer nor mesh required and will still provide the essential Passive Fire Protection on the structural steel, used within the global Oil, Gas & Chemical industry. Not only does this revolutionary coating enable improved cost management, moreover it significantly reduces the manhours up to 50%.

Whenever a fire breaks out on a platform, the consequences can be deadly serious. No matter how they start, hydrocarbon explosions and fires have extreme consequences, both for the personnel, the management and all partnering companies involved, as assets may be destroyed, and production halted. Passive Fire Protection is the number one concern of the Oil & Gas industry.

Developed and launched by Acotec – a Belgium based industrial coating company with global presence – Humidur® Char is a brand-new single-coat PFP system that has been thoroughly tested and received Type Approval from classification society DNV.

Humidur® Char passed an extensive test program and protects against (High Heat Flux) Jet Fires, Pool Fires and can resist Gas Explosions

• Approved and certified by DNV for optimal surface preparation (Sa 2 1⁄2) and minimal surface preparation (St2)
• No primer and no mesh nor any other kind of reinforcement required
• Increased safety during application as no solvents are being used

Thanks to its unique properties and straightforward application, Humidur® Char significantly reduces the overall project cost without compromising the safety on board:

• Reduced asset downtime
• Reduced manhours
• Reduced machinery & equipment cost

Extensive testing procedures and Type Approval from DNV

Humidur® Char has been successfully tested in Jet Fire and Pool Fires and even Gas Explosions and High Heat Flux Jet Fires. All steel test beams underwent optimal and minimal surface preparation and had Humidur® Char applied directly to the steel, without the use of a primer or reinforcing mesh. The test results showed that there was no difference in fire protection properties between optimal and minimal surface preparation, which has been formally confirmed by DNV. It is a result that promises to shake up the entire industry.

The numerous advantages of Humidur® Char

Typically, a traditional PFP coating requires lots of preparation including the blasting of the steel and numerous coats of paint: primer, PFP coat, mesh, PFP coat again, and then the topcoat. All this is completely unnecessary with Humidur® Char, as it is a single-layer system: no optimal surface preparation, no primer, no mesh, and no waiting between layers.

Humidur® Char offers essential fire protection in just one coat. The fact that the application is simplified in just one layer, eliminates the risk of inter-adhesion issues, and reduces the complexity of and possible errors during the job.

Extremely easy to apply, Humidur® Char can be trowelled or sprayed straight onto the structural component, which does not need to be grit blasted. Spray application can be conducted with standard plural pumps, so no expensive and complicated specialized PFP pumps are required.

With a wide application window in terms of humidity (max. 95%), Humidur® Char can be applied at any location all over the world. In addition, the unlimited overcoating window and wet-on-wet application provide unique flexibility to the applicator.

Wim Schalley, CEO of Acotec: “Partners in the Oil & Gas industry approached Acotec because they wanted a new innovative PFP coating that would reduce the downtime of their assets. Besides that, the new PFP coating must be efficient and easy to apply. Acotec took on the challenge and started to develop the revolutionary PFP coating. After extensive testing, Humidur® Char was born. Humidur® Char is currently being applied both onshore and offshore assets, and as such has led to a significant reduction in manhours and hence overall project costs. Yes, Humidur® Char is a revolutionary one-coat solution. Our Humidur® Char’s slogan is simple and straight forward: ‘Let’s face fire in one coat’.

“By combining PFP properties with Humidur® we have access to a world-class, all-in-one, single-product system that meets the highest industry testing and qualification criteria. Humidur® Char carries over all the benefits from the traditional Humidur® product range while simultaneously reducing the need for additional PFP layers and materials like reinforcing mesh, thus substantially reducing the cost and time for preparation and application.” says Woodside Corrosion Technology Specialist Travis Baensch.

Multiple HSE benefits

Humidur® Char is 100% solids and free of VOCs. Even during the application, no solvents shall be used. This makes Humidur® Char the preferred sustainable option from a HSE point of view, to meet all local HSE regulations and improve the health & safety of the personnel. Thanks to its solvent-free characteristics, Humidur® Char also reduces the risk of coating failures.

Humidur® Char by Acotec

Humidur® Char is a sustainable and environmentally friendly PFP coating and is used in the Oil, Gas & Chemical industry. It is a revolutionary invention and proven to protect your steel structures with one coat only. Acotec is a company that offers worldwide customer-oriented solutions to manage any type of corrosion or passive fire protection. All Acotec’s coatings are sustainable coatings with the aim to protect assets, humans, and nature. The head office is based in Aalst, Belgium and has a worldwide distribution network.

Please visit the website www.humidur.com for more information.