Public Funding for Pyroguard UK Limited

To evaluate and understand the rheological behaviour of Pyroguard technologies to inform new product development and appropriately measure current production.

"Fire-resistant safety glass (FRSG) is used within windows/doors/walls to control smoke/fire/heat in case of fire. Last year's Grenfell Tower fire, killing 71 people, highlighted the importance of adequate fire safety measures, and the global market for FRSG is worth over £1 billion. FRSG gets its fire-resistant properties from fire-resistant interlayers between individual glass sheets. The composition and quantity of interlayers is dependent on customer requirements. Foreign competitors utilise a process called the batch evaporation process (BEP) to produce FRSG of all specifications desired by customers. Providing this 'one-stop-shop' of FRSG enables global exploitation. However, the BEP has severe limitations: establishing a plant requires a large capital investment and the process is water and energy intensive. Furthermore, no competitor can produce a UV-stable, fire-resistant interlayer, meaning an additional petrochemical-based layer is utilised to ensure the fire-glass's functional longevity, increasing manufacturing cost and environmental impact. Pyroguard are the only UK producer of FRSG, however their current manufacturing capabilities inhibit the quality of FRSG they can produce. Pyroguard cannot afford to establish a BEP to match best-in-class due to the high investment required. Unable to offer a 'one-stop-shop' FRSG range, Pyroguard are losing both UK and EU market share to foreign competitors, and their success is inhibited within the global market. To compete and grow on both fronts, it is critical that Pyroguard innovate and develop a low-cost manufacturing process capable of producing a best-in-class FRSG range. To address these challenges, Pyroguard seek to develop the 'Pyroguard-2' (P2) product range, with best-in-class specifications meeting safety standards worldwide. P2 will be manufactured through an innovative manufacturing process, 'cast-in-place' process (CIPP). Establishing a CIPP plant will cost less than 10% of an equivalent BEP process, and the glass production will require 40% less water and 40% less energy. The P2 range will also be thinner and less dense than competing solutions, with the CO2 savings associated with this reduced mass of glass over the first 5 years of sales equivalent to taking over 250,000 cars off the roads. If successful, these advancements will truly disrupt the fire-glass market, increasing Pyroguard's competitiveness nationally and globally. With support through Innovate UK a 18-month programme of research is required to take this concept through to a pre-production prototype just 12-months away from commercialisation. The project is likely to lead to significant growth and healthy revenues for Pyroguard, whilst providing significant value for money for UK tax payers."

To evaluate and understand the rheological behaviour of Pyroguard technologies to inform new product development and appropriately measure current production.

To understand the science underpinning the performance of silicate based intumescents and current fire resisting insulating glasses and to develop an innovative, proprietary product.