Fire Behavior of Plaster Composite Materials Lightened With Perlite and Super-absorbent Polymers

The effects of fire on construction materials and systems can affect buildings in many different aspects, ranging from minor surface damage to severe effects that can affect their dimensional stability and load-bearing capacity. The aim of this research is to characterise the effects of fire on a new plaster material specially designed for the manufacture of prefabricated elements. This plaster composite is made by incorporating superabsorbent polymers and perlite, which reduces its density and thermal conductivity. In the study, real direct fire exposure tests were carried out, in order to subsequently carry out a mechanical characterisation of the new plaster composites and check the effects that a fire would have on them. The incorporation of sodium polyacrylate and potassium polyacrylate as superabsorbent polymers together with the addition of perlite has been shown to improve the fire resistance of the plaster composites.

Keywords: fire behavior, lightweight plaster, perlite, superabsorbent polymers.