Fire behaviour Trespa

General

Trespa consists of organic material (paper or wood fibres and synthetic resins) and belongs therefore to the
category combustible materials. We distinguish panels with a standard core (without added fire retardant
substances) and panels with fire retardant substances added to the core, the so-called fire retardant (FR) panels.
Concerning the category combustible materials, Trespa FR panels meet the highest standards established in
several European countries. An overview of several countries and their standards and classifications can be
found in a table on page 2. Because of the composition of Trespa, the fire behaviour is favourable: the material
doesnt melt, drip or explode and theres a limited emission of smoke of which the composition is similar to the
smoke of burning wood.
Theory

Combustion and fire retardation

The combustion of a solid material can be divided in three separated processes:
1. Heating
2. Smouldering
3. Combustion
If theres sufficient heating of the material by an external source, chemical processes in the material will lead to
the formation of volatile gasses that will escape to the environment: the material will smoulder. This so-called
pyrolyses process, runs without the need of oxygen and is also faster as the temperature gets higher.
The volatile gasses mix with air (that contains oxygen) and are heated (by the external source) to reach the socalled combustion temperature. At this moment the gas-air mixture will combust. During this process, heat will
be liberated (exothermic process) that will further heat the material. At a sufficient high temperature, the material
itself will also catch fire.
The energy that is being released during the complete combustion of a kilogram material is called the heat of
combustion of a material. This is a standard to see how good or bad a material burns. The heat of combustion of
Trespa is approximately 20 MJ/kg. The addition of fire retardant substances cannot influence this value although
it can influence the rapidity of heat formation, so that heat will not be released until a further stage. The escape
time in case of emergency will be increased substantial. This principle is being used in fire tests: these tests
measure the heat formation during a certain time. The addition of fire retardant substances to the core will
reduce the measured values.
Fire-resistance classification
To reach the fire-resistance classification of a material, the material is being subjected to fire tests. In principle we
distinguish two sorts of tests:
Reaction to fire: these are tests that define the behaviour of the material itself. Important aspects in this case:
fire spread, heat formation and the emission of smoke.
Fire resistance: these are tests on systems that define both the behaviour of the material and the behaviour
of the construction of for example cladding systems. Important aspects in this case: flame density, thermal
isolation and the breakdown concerning supporting constructions.
Every country has its own fire tests and as a result from that an own fire-resistance classification. In connection
with the harmonization of building products in Europe, a uniform package of fire tests and a fire-resistance
classification system (Euroclass system) has been developed in order to be in force in all West-European
countries.

Wetering 20
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Tel.: +31 (0) 495 458358

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23-10-2001
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Fire behaviour Trespa

Material properties

There are only official fire test results of reaction to fire, not of fire-resistance. This is due to the fact that fireresistance tests are system specific and Trespa doesnt market own systems. In the under mentioned table youll
find fire-resistance classifications by country and by product.
Meteon
St
FR

Athlon
St
FR

Toplabplus
St
FR

Country

Fire test

Virtuon
St
FR

The Netherlands
Germany
United
Kingdom
France
Belgium
Spain
Austria
Sweden

NEN 6065

Klasse 2

Klasse 1

DIN 4102
BS 476 part 7
BS 476 part 6
NF 92-501
NBN S21-203
UNE 23-727-90
NORM B3800
NT Fire 004

Class 2
M3
A2
Class 2

B1
Class 1
Class O
M1
A1
M1
B1
Class 1

Class 2
M3
-

B1
Class 1
Class 0
M1
M1
-

Class 2
-

Class 1
M1
-

B1
Class 1
M1
M1
-

M3
-

For more information on these certificates and test reports, please visit our website (www.trespa.com) or contact
your CSD officer in Weert, The Netherlands.

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Fire behaviour Trespa

Background information

Panel composition and fire behaviour

Core material
The core of the panels can consist of resin injected wood fibres (Dry Forming (DF)) or resin impregnated sheets
of Kraft paper or a combination of both. Concerning the core material, we use phosphoric acid in combination
with ethanolamine as a fire-retardant substance. During the cooling period of the resin reaction, the
ethanolamine and phosphoric acid are added to the resin whereby the ethanolamine reacts to the resin and
combines with the phosphoric acid.
The combination of phosphorus and nitrogen is a very effective fire retardant substance for cellulose keeping
materials. The phosphoric acid catalyzes the dehydration of the cellulose, during which a carbonisation takes
place and less volatile gasses are being formed. The addition of nitrogen (ethanolamine) reinforces the
functionality (synergetic effect). All of this leads to an important fire-retardant effect.
A Cone Calorimeter test with a radiation of 50 KW/m shows a reduction of the heat formation during the first
10 minutes of the test from 90 MJ/ m (standard core) to 30 MJ/ m (FR core at panel thickness 8 mm).
Fire tests showed that the DF core is less fire retardant as the Kraft core, for both the standard and the FR. This
has no decisive effect on the current fire-resistance classification in the several European countries.
Decor material
For our decor material we use EBC material on the basis of urethane acrylics for the Meteon, Virtuon and
Toplab panels and melamine (decor paper impregnated with melamine-formaldehyde resin) for the Athlon
panels. With regard to the fire behaviour, both decor types strongly differ. The EBC decor combusts at relatively
small temperatures of approximately 300 C and as a result, the core material also combusts in an early stage of
the fire. The melamine decor is working as a fire retardant substance and combusts simultaneously with the core
material at a temperature of approximately 400 C in combination with a standard core and at 600 C in
combination with a FR core.
In relation to several fire tests, this difference in fire behaviour between both decor types has a decisive influence
on the fire-resistance classification. This especially counts for the Netherlands and England with panels based on
a FR core and EBC dcor.
According to NEN 6065, class 1 (the highest class for combustible materials) in the flame extension test is not
practicable in the Netherlands for panels with FR core and EBC decor in thickness 6,8 and 10 mm. The flame
extension test can be reached by adding fire retardant substances to the EBC decor (addition of melamine
polyphosphate to the base coat). In England it is not possible to reach the classification Class O according to BS
476 part 6 for panels with FR core and EBC dcor in thickness 6-13 mm. By increasing the concentration of fire
retardant substances in the FR core based on Kraft paper (resin of 84% in stead of 58%), it is possible to reach
Class O.
On Trespa View, a survey of the certificates and test results concerning this subject can be found. For more
background information, please contact Chris van der Vorst, TTC.

Wetering 20
Postbus 110

NL-6002 SM Weert
NL-6000 AC Weert

Tel.: +31 (0) 495 458358

Fax: +31 (0) 495 458570

Version:
Page:

23-10-2001
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