Borax for fireproof fume hood

MarcoP · Jan 3, 2015

I've searched the forums for something related to this but I've found nothing.

It seems the saturating ~1:11 borax:water and using it for the first hand of paint (can't remember the English name) and let it dry for 2 weeks would make a fireproof coating.

My fume hood is simply waiting for fireproof paint and the exhaust, if borax can be used then I only have the exhaust to be made.

What's your thoughts on this, would it work?

necromancer · Jan 3, 2015

i think the word would be: "white wash"

why do you need to fire proof ? you could use fibreglass panelling, it's cheap. no idea of acid or acid fume resistance though.

http://www.idealproducts.ca/FiberglassReinforcedPanels.aspx

Barren Realms 007 · Jan 3, 2015

necromancer said:
i think the word would be: "white wash"

why do you need to fire proof ? you could use fibreglass panelling, it's cheap. no idea of acid or acid fume resistance though.

http://www.idealproducts.ca/FiberglassReinforcedPanels.aspx

Fiberglass is acid resistant but not fire resistant.

necromancer · Jan 3, 2015

thank you

MarcoP · Jan 3, 2015

necromancer said:
i think the word would be: "white wash"

why do you need to fire proof ? you could use fibreglass panelling, it's cheap. no idea of acid or acid fume resistance though.

http://www.idealproducts.ca/FiberglassReinforcedPanels.aspx

I'd like to be better safe then sorry specially when it's cheap to do so. I'm also installing a main safety switch on my fume hood to again be safe rather then sorry.

Fiberglass is a great idea, thanks, I could use those panels after the white wash ... I just would like to avoid spending €80/Kg for a certified fireproof coating and nobody in my area is able to tell me if it is resistant to acids or not.

"primer" is the word that I couldn't remember earlier.

Just noticed Barren's reply, so If I got it right and adding new infos I could use borax as primer and cover with fiberglass panels!?

Edit: sp

FrugalRefiner · Jan 3, 2015

MarcoP said:
necromancer said:

i think the word would be: "white wash"

why do you need to fire proof ? you could use fibreglass panelling, it's cheap. no idea of acid or acid fume resistance though.

http://www.idealproducts.ca/FiberglassReinforcedPanels.aspx

Click to expand...

I'd like to be better safe then sorry specially when it's cheap to do so. I'm also installing a main safety switch on my fume hood to again be safe rather then sorry.

Fiberglass is a great idea, thanks, I could use those panels after the white wash ... I just would like to avoid spending €80/Kg for a certified fireproof coating and nobody in my area is able to tell me if it is resistant to acids or not.

"primer" is the word that I couldn't remember earlier.

Just noticed Barren's reply, so If I got it right and adding new infos I could use borax as primer and cover with fiberglass panels!?

Edit: sp

No. Fiberglass is not fire resistant. If you're planning to do any incineration or melting under your hood, do not use fiberglass. Harold made that mistake with his first hood and set his shop on fire.

Dave

MarcoP · Jan 3, 2015

FrugalRefiner said:
MarcoP said:

necromancer said:

i think the word would be: "white wash"

why do you need to fire proof ? you could use fibreglass panelling, it's cheap. no idea of acid or acid fume resistance though.

http://www.idealproducts.ca/FiberglassReinforcedPanels.aspx

Click to expand...

I'd like to be better safe then sorry specially when it's cheap to do so. I'm also installing a main safety switch on my fume hood to again be safe rather then sorry.

Fiberglass is a great idea, thanks, I could use those panels after the white wash ... I just would like to avoid spending €80/Kg for a certified fireproof coating and nobody in my area is able to tell me if it is resistant to acids or not.

"primer" is the word that I couldn't remember earlier.

Just noticed Barren's reply, so If I got it right and adding new infos I could use borax as primer and cover with fiberglass panels!?

Edit: sp

Click to expand...

No. Fiberglass is not fire resistant. If you're planning to do any incineration or melting under your hood, do not use fiberglass. Harold made that mistake with his first hood and set his shop on fire.

Dave

Thanks Dave, yes I'd like to melt and incinerate too in it as I would like to avoid to be there when the wind changes direction. Sure I'll be using a mask but those are not really safe as I originally believed so I'd like to do everything inside a fume hood.

necromancer · Jan 3, 2015

this is what i thought you meant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitewash

MarcoP · Jan 3, 2015

necromancer said:
this is what i thought you meant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitewash

Intresting but no, they use carbon dioxide while I'd like to use borax as primer to fireproof it.
Then, possibly, a simple hand of water paint and the usual cardboard for spills etc..

Hopefully it can be done, it would be cheap enough for everyone to make.

FrugalRefiner · Jan 3, 2015

Marco, you didn't mention in this thread what your hood is made from. I used a borax solution as a fire retardant many years ago in my travelling jewelry days. Our table coverings had to be retardant, and mine were plain cotton cloth. I soaked them in borax solution and dried them. They were able to pass the test. They were not fire proof. If you held a flame to the material it would burn, but when the external flame was removed, the flame in the cloth would die out. I don't have any experience with it on anything other than cloth.

As with anything new, I'd suggest a small scale test to see if it serves your needs.

We have a couple of materials available here that you may or may not have there. They are used as backing materials for stone and tile work. There are a couple of varieties (Durock and Hardie board come to mind), but they are both cement based materials. The material comes in sheets, usually about 3 feet by 5 feet, and in thicknesses from 3/8 inch to about 5/8 or 3/4 inch or so. It's fairly easy to work with and will not burn. I have not tested any of it for acid resistance.

Dave

goldsilverpro · Jan 3, 2015

They do make fire resistant fiberglass but it's probably quite expensive.
http://www.lbie.com/ptf.htm

Palladium · Jan 3, 2015

Gypsum drywall board painted with a latex based paint has served me more than well. I painted one of my two fume hoods with epoxy and the other with latex (exterior, not interior) paint 4 years ago and you can't tell the difference between them. It has held up to all the moisture, chemicals, and heat with no kind of problems what so ever and believe me it has seen some action!

MarcoP · Jan 3, 2015

Dave you are right, that's a detail of the section of the timber I've used

I will also look for details about fireproof fiberglass and latex paint, thanks GSP and Palladium.

Palladium, how come did you paint just the exterior? Shouldn't be the way around?

FrugalRefiner · Jan 3, 2015

Marco, we know that as plywood.

If I understood Palladium correctly, he was saying he used an exterior type paint instead of an interior type. So he painted the interior of his hood with exterior type paint.

Dave

Palladium · Jan 3, 2015

Yep what Dave said.
I built and finished it just like you would normal drywall and then just painted it with exterior paint like you would anything else. The duct work after the fume hood is made of 2x4 bracing and 7/16 osb plywood with the insides painted with the same paint.

FrugalRefiner · Jan 3, 2015

So we don't confuse anyone, Palladium, do you do any melting or incineration in your hood or do you use it strictly for chemical work? Marco is wanting to use his hood for all purposes.

Dave

solar_plasma · Jan 3, 2015

Fireproof does not necessarily mean it will never burn. It only means, that it will withstand fire for a definated time, this could be minutes. If you really want to build in a known fireproofness, then you would need to use testet materials. If it is just for yourself and not based on any laws and rules, you could use something like acid resistant painted eternit panels and rockwool. But this would only make sense, if you use expensive fireproof thermoinsulating safety glass for the front.

Maybe better just to pevent uncontrolled fire.

Palladium · Jan 3, 2015

5/8 type X gypsum drywall is fire resistant. I use my fume hood for both. I have had several large open fires in my fume hood without a problem. You just need clearance from the wall.

solar_plasma · Jan 3, 2015

Btw. if I remember right, wood burns 1mm per minute. A fireproof coating will in the best case prevent it some time from inflammation. If there is any good source of heat, it will pyrolyse, coated or not. The pyrolysis gasses will cause a flash over, when their concentration is within the ex-range and enough heat and oxygen are present. Very theoretical though. There is a good ventilation and you would probably be near and use a fire extinguisher very soon.

If the ventilation pipes are inflammable, you would have another problem in the case of fire :!:

solar_plasma · Jan 3, 2015

Palladium said:
5/8 type X gypsum drywall is fire resistant. I use my fume hood for both. I have had several large open fires in my fume hood without a problem. You just need clearance from the wall.

correct.

Borax for fireproof fume hood

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