In the quest for producing vehicles that provide an advantage in weight saving, fuel economy etc, aluminium has played a key part in vehicle manufacture over many years, but with that advantage comes a downside. That being its ability to contribute to a fire.
Unlike most steel grades, aluminium does not become brittle at low temperatures, instead, its strength increases. At high temperatures however, aluminium’s strength decreases. At temperatures continuously above 100°C, strength is affected to the extent that the weakening must be taken into account, at approximately 650°c it melts.
An aluminium sheet, extrusion or body panel, once treated with the Surefire ASP etch primer and water based paint system will increase it’s ability to withstand temperatures in excess of 850°c, whilst offering up to and including 60 minutes of fire protection. It can be applied to panels either on and off the vehicle, and will accept a two pack paint system top coat if so required. Alternatively, Surefire ASP can be supplied in any RAL colour to contrast perfectly with the vehicles livery.
The attached video shows how a panel treated with Surefire ASP reacts to fire, and our featured image above shows how the aluminium has survived, totally intact and without warping.
Full video demonstration: