Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-10-23
URALlTE A FIRE RtTARDENT.

A detailed description of the new |
fire resisting material uralite, invented
by Russian artillery officer named
Imschenetzky, is given in an interest
ing report made to the State Depart |
ment by Consul General Hughes OF
Coburg. The substance is said to be |
virtually waterproof, is not affected by
atmospheric conditions, and is a non,
conductor of heat and electricity. II
can be cut like wood with carpenters
tools, painted, grained and polished.
and is available for many purposes OF
interior construction and decoration.
Mr.. Hughes says chat uralite is an
asbestus hbrous substance, composed
of asbestus fibre, silicate, and bicar-
Donate Of soda. 1t can be prepared
hard or soft and used in variety OF
ways. The process of manufacture,
which is akin to that OF paper making,
is given in full
| Mr. Hughes, in discussing the fire.
resisting qualities of uralite, quotes an
expert who speaks thus regarding some
suggestive tests: Three principal tests
were made, sand they fully proved that
the material possesses the following
/ qualities: "a 1t is able to Withstand
intense heat for long time without
disntegration ~ its non-conducting
powers are uniform throughout; s3l 1t
is capable of entirely preventing the
passage of flame from any room where
fire occurs: al after prolonged ex-
posure to fire, it is able to resist water
without serious damage; l5l exposure
to changing atmospheric conditions
does not affect it; (6j all the materials
employed in its manufacture possess
substantially the same chemical, physi-
cal, ana thermal constants. In order
to carry out TIE tests, a small brick
built house, an iron-framed hut, lined
and covered with uralite, and dupii-
cate platform were erected. Each OF
these was fitted with promoters, re-
cording the temperatures electrically,
! and was filled with highly infiammabie
materials. In the case of the plat,
: forms, the materials were distributed
evenly under. the two sections. 10 the
J test house were attached four doors.
, One door was constructed with two
I oak boards three fourths of an inch
thick. Next to the timber was thin
; steel armor plate. and over all was a
! covering of uralite. The second door,
, suitable for inside use, was built OF
/. two sheets of hard uralite running
through the centre OF the door and
! forming panels The framework con
! sisted OF timber laid on either side. a
. door for warehouse purposes consisted
i of thickness of soft uralite in the
centre and oak on either side. Next
] to the timber was fixed thickness ol
soft uralite, and the whole was covered
/ by o layer of hard nralite. The stiles
a | of the other door were constructed O.
/, oak. l15 inches thick, and the panels
g we're filled in with uralite cement
I The timber was covered all over witt
soft uralite, and on that a thin stee
!, armor plate was fixed. The whole wa'
/ covered by hard uralite. In each case
i the materials were fixed together b,
d means of nails and screws.
4 4 fire was lighted inside the houst
: and the doors were shut. The highes
= temperature reached was 2, $50 degree
i f. After the test, it was found tina
/ in each Gaze. the doors had resisted tn
a fire. 1t is interesting. to note, how
: ever, that in the case of the second
/ door practically all the wood outsid
I was burned off, leaving the outer laye
: of uralite uninjured by the severe heat
: The fire was left to burn for over al
il hour. In the hut was placed deed boi
i made of the uralite and wood, and il
the box were placed some papers,
J, book, crucible containing paraffiI
I wax. and another holding piece 0
- easily fusihle metal. After being sub
jected to an external heat of 2,03
d degrees r., the papers and books wer
l. not affected in the slightest degree. |
e was found that the wood nearest tn
e fire was charred right through, bu
u the middle layer of urallte was SCUM
= and the parafiin wax had only meltel
:. slightly. The platform was II feet lon
e and feet wide, was built of wood
IF and but one-half was covered wit
3 uralite. After the fire had burne
l, underneath. and had reached >, 270 de
y grees F., the unprotected portion wa
: completely destroyed, but that coyere'
i. with uralite was whole and strong an
l. several of the visitors walked across il
q After the fire in the small house ha
3, been going three quarters of an houi
= and when the pyrometer was registei
. ing 2, 120 degrees + ,thoss present wei
i. able to place their hands in contat
Q, with any part OF the door which wa
g covered inside and out with uralit'
II; though by this time the whole OF I'll
woodwork had been burned of the doS
G. which had uralite for its panels onl!
II afterwards witnessed some tes
showing the crushing and breakir
strain of tho material. In the first,
cube one inch square, built up wit
Of sections, cut from standard sheets, WI
subjected to hydraulic pressure.
on pressure Of 1913 tons was registers
nd before they gave way. In the secor
q test, strip 9t4 inches long. 115 inch
ne broad, and seven sixty fourths Of ;
es- inch thick was placed between supper
and gradually subjected to an i
It, creasing weight placed at its cent?
he II aid not break till a weight of e,s
nd l,iiograms tiusr over l5 pounds ii
on been applied"