Hexion’s resins are inherently flame-averse. Photo by Roberto
Based in Columbus, Ohio, Hexion is a century-old supplier of high-performance binding and bonding materials that are used in a wide variety of applications, from coating and transportation to energy and construction. Committed to responsible chemistry that enhances durability and increases safety, Global Business Development Director Ramesh Pisipati says the company is intensely focused on quality and sustainability while adhering to unwaveringly strict ethical standards. We recently chatted with Pisipati more about just what should be considered when it comes to fire safety in buildings.
A key focus for us at Hexion is to enhance the flame resistance of components fabricated with our products. Rather than mere surface application, flameproof qualities are built right into the backbone of the raw materials we supply for several commonly used building products.
Insulation is one of them. Hexion makes world-class resins used for stone wool insulation—a product impervious to flames and made of cooled molten stone that’s extended into long, thin fibers and coated with our proprietary resin. Hexion’s resins offer stone wool enhanced rigidity with good mechanical strength. Perhaps best of all, it won’t burn.
Structural wood products that incorporate Hexion’s resins are more fire- resistant than solid lumber, without the need for additional flame-retardant additives or gel coats. Photo by Brizmaker
Another fire-resistant option is our polyols, which enhance the flame resistance of the polyurethane spray foam commonly used in building insulation. Hexion is developing this proprietary material and working to get it tested and certified by spray foam systems suppliers.
Our resins are inherently flame-averse—so much so that the structural wood products (like I-joists and glue laminated wood) in which they’re incorporated are more fire-resistant than solid lumber, without the need for additional flame-retardant additives or gel coats.
Photo by Brizmaker
Hexion also supplies resin for a new composite siding product called Qora Cladding, which delivers the authentic look of masonry cladding through an innovative panelized design that only requires general carpentry skills to install. This innovation, developed by Arcitell and built on Hexion’s resin, provides for an easy to install flame resistant cladding product.
Hexion’s flame retardant resins are easy to process and have allowed mass transit OEMs, e.g. train builders, to meet strict flame resistance specifications. The same properties also enable the fabrication of architectural composites with complex geometries, like domes and other decorative components, that are light-weight, durable, and fire-resistant.
In addition to robust performance, engineered wood products made with Hexion’s raw materials can be carbon neutral and a more sustainable building material. Hexion is committed to advancing technologies and chemistries for the future by developing innovative, high-performing products that create solutions for our customers and help them deliver safer, more efficient products.
