Our Fire-Retardant Resin and Gelcoat Group

Fire-Resistant Resins and Gelcoats for Railway Systems Polres Polyester was established in 2003 in the Gebze Plastics Organised Industrial Zone to manufacture polyester resin, gelcoat, pigment paste and vinyl ester. Our company produces polyester resin products in the following types: Casting, Hand Lay-up and Spray-up, Pultrusion, Continuous Pulling, Hot Press SMC and BMC, DCPD Resins, RTM and Infusion, Filament Winding, Flame-Retardant, Adhesive Type, Chemical Corrosion Resistant, Putty Type, Button Type, Mould Type, Breton, Polymer Concrete; in the gelcoat group: General Purpose, Performance, High Performance, Chemical Resistant, Sandable, Flame-Retardant, Gloss Top Coats, Mould Making gelcoats; and in the pigment paste group, we produce RAL K5, RAL K7 and Pantone catalogue colours. Polres holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO/IEC 27001:2017 and EN 45545-2, UL-94, BS476 part 7 certifications for flame-retardant products. 85 percent of production is for export markets. All of Polres's operations are customer-focused, and in this direction, the company continues its efforts to establish its position in the global market. The need for fire-retardant product groups is currently increasing rapidly. These products are used in railway vehicles, road transport and other transport vehicles, residential buildings, electrical systems and anywhere fire protection is desired. According to the Istanbul Fire Department's 2020 Fire Statistics Report, as of November 2020, 19,087 fires occurred in Istanbul alone. Of these fires, 4,023 were residential fires, 169 were factory fires, 6,241 were other building fires, 1,480 were vehicle fires and 7,174 were non-structural fires. The figures shared above, from only a single province in Turkey, are quite substantial and have caused considerable material and non-material losses. When considered across the country, fire is viewed as a hazard that deeply affects society due to the losses it creates. At this point, investing in fire protection measures is of vital importance. Raising public awareness on fire safety and the use of innovative technologies in fire response systems are among our priorities in protecting against fire hazards. For example, in a train fire that occurred in Pakistan in 2019, it was reported that at least 70 people died. If the train cars in this fire had been built using composite materials resistant to fire, the number of dead and injured as a result of the fire could have been minimized. The behaviour of trains and equipment on railways when exposed to fire increases the number of people who can survive in the resulting fire. The European Union of Railways (UIC) and various European countries have developed a new classification system for European railway fire safety requirements using fire safety regulations for rail system vehicles. With this developed system, the EN 45545-2 standard is required for all products used in rail system projects where human health and safety are paramount. For EN 45545-2 compliance, materials must behave in a certain way when exposed to fire; Flame Retardant: EN 45545-2 compliant materials must be flame retardant, so in the event of a fire, composite materials effectively help prevent the spread of fire and provide more time for safe evacuation of cars. Low Smoke: EN 45545-2 compliant rail system materials must also have low smoke emission to help prevent smoke penetration. Ensuring smoke density is as low as possible is vital to allow train personnel and passengers to escape the car and be rescued as quickly as possible without exposure to the dangers of smoke inhalation. Low Toxicity: Many train components can produce extremely hazardous toxic gases. On the other hand, special EN 45545-2 compliant rail system materials are formulated to provide low toxicity properties, so train line personnel and passengers are exposed to a minimum amount of smoke. As Polres Polyester, we have designed our products to meet this standard. We have adjusted the properties of our products for long-term ignition, short-term flame and smoke extinction according to the ranges required by the standard. As a result of tests conducted by an accredited body, the results of PRE-1653FR-DTA resin and gelcoat made from this resin according to EN 45545-2 standard are shown below. According to the results shown in Table 1, our product achieved results well above the reference ranges in terms of flame spread, flame extinction, smoke volume and toxicity. The resin and gelcoat made from this resin achieved the highest classification value in this system, which is HL3. With our UL-94 V0 and BS-476 part 7 class 1 certifications, fire resistance of materials to be used in residential buildings has been documented. Tables 2 and 3 below show the results of these resins. Polres Polyester R&D