Abstract
Calcium gluconate monohydrate is a member of a new class of base-catalysed intumescent compounds. It forms low-density closed-cell carbonaceous foam when exposed to heat. The volume expansion can be as high as two hundred times the original volume. At temperatures above 750°C this foam is transformed into a porous, yet cohesive, structure based on calcium oxide. The latter has only a slightly higher density and shows significant flame-resistance.
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Labuschagné, F.J.W.J., Focke, W.W. Metal catalysed intumescence: characterisation of the thermal decomposition of calcium gluconate monohydrate. Journal of Materials Science 38, 1249–1254 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022818022650
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022818022650