Press Photos

Fire test: Intumescent coatings encase steel girders and, in case of a fire, form an insulating foam barrier, thus protecting the steel structure from the heat – and dispersions from WACKER play a key role here as a binder (photo: Clariant Produkte Deutschland GmbH - 2013)

Modern buildings often feature steel skeletons – but when the temperature reaches 500°C, steel frames soften rapidly. To prevent them from buckling within minutes during a fire (left), they are provided with special fire protection coatings, allowing them to resist a fire for much longer (right). The polymer binders VINNAPAS^® EZ 3112 and VINNAPAS^® EZ 3066 ensure significant foam development in these coatings, coupled with improved adhesion and strength.

Water-permeability test: Open-pored concrete modified with ETONIS^® 260 facilitates the transport of moisture (left), while on conventional solid concrete, water builds up and runs off slowly (right). This results in far fewer cracks forming in the new concrete and augments its resistance to frost and road salts.

The type of adhesive used is key in ensuring that veneers remain attractive for as long as possible. VINNAPAS^® DPX 271 helps to prevent unsightly discolorations.

With the help of creep tests, WACKER's applications technology laboratory in Burghausen, Germany, is able to investigate the cold flow of adhesive bonds.