By David Learmount in London
Boeing and Houston-based Flame Seal have developed a spray-on coating that can restore the fire-resistance of insulation blankets on in-service aircraft, according to the two companies.
Boeing says it “recommends this treatment as an alternative means of compliance [AMOC], pending Federal Aviation Administration approval”, and adds that it is far cheaper than replacing old insulation materials during major maintenance.
Boeing says that the fire-retardant properties of insulation blankets “degrade over time due to ageing and/or contamination”, and that Flame Seal’s coating restores fire-resistance levels “for the [remaining] life of the aeroplane”. The present FAA requirement is that certain old blankets are replaced.
The blanket type concerned is AN-26, manufactured by Orcon, “a non-metalised polyethylene terephthalate [PET] insulation blanket cover film installed on the 727 to 767 model ranges between 1981 and 1988”.
When the original version of the FX-100 coating was developed in 2005, says Flame Seal, the interior of the aircraft had to be heated for two hours to cure it. Now, however, the jointly developed modified product cures at room temperature. The coating works by being “intumescent” when heated, expanding to 100 times the coating thickness.
Source: Flight International
