Ductwork passes through every room between walls and floors, working to regulate temperatures inside buildings to keep you comfortable. But these ducts need to be protected because during operation, temperatures may exceed 800 C in some instances, and they can quickly spread fire and toxic smoke, causing burn injuries or worse.
Your building needs insulation to protect the people in it, so they have time to evacuate in an emergency. Keep reading to learn more about fire-rated duct wrap and how it mitigates damage and injury caused by fire.
What Is Fire-Rated Duct Wrap?
Fire-rated duct wrap is a form of high-temperature passive fire protection for various ductwork, pipe and cable systems. It functions to prevent fire or toxic smoke breakthroughs and protect both structures and occupants. Duct wrap reduces heat transfer across walls or roofs exposed to fire, so combustible materials on the side not exposed to the fire do not ignite.
What Materials Are Duct Wraps Made Of?
Duct wrap is usually made with inorganic materials. The material used in your fire-rated duct wrap possesses several features to maximize protection, such as making it non-combustible and encapsulating it in foil.
Non-Combustible Duct Wrap
Duct wrap is manufactured with a needling process intertwining the fibers. This process creates a noncombustible product form.
Foil-Encapsulated Duct Wrap
By encapsulating the duct wrap in scrim-reinforced foil, you get a more rugged product. Foil adds handling strength, helps resist slumping (especially helpful during installation), reduces moisture leakage and gives you somewhere to print identification and certification details.
Where Is Fire-Rated Duct Wrap Used?
You may wonder where fire-rated duct wrap is needed, as well as where it is most effective. This duct wrap has a variety of use cases in residential, commercial and industrial spaces.
The applications are almost endless, but six of the most common uses for fire-rated duct wrap include:
- Air ventilation systems
- Commercial kitchen grease ducts
- Dryer vents
- Hazardous chemical exhausts
- Plastic pipe and cable
- Water heaters
Fire-rated duct wrap is effective in these applications because it has been subjected to specific testing to ensure it can withstand the demands put upon it. Duct wrap usually withstands operating temperatures ranging up to 1200 C, with an average 2-hour fire resistance rating.
What Kinds of Duct Wrap Does Distribution International Offer?
Distribution International provides a wide variety of fire-rated duct wrap products from top brands, such as 3M, Unifrax and FireMaster (Morgan Advanced Materials) to suit your needs. The products we carry are generally 1/2” or 1-1/2” thick, depending on the application.
Example: 1/2" x 16" x 25' 8# FireMaster Dryerwrap Morgan (33.25)
- For ventilation, commercial kitchen, chemical exhaust and clothes dryer duct fire insulation
- Encapsulated in aluminum foil
- Inorganic and non-combustible
- Stable up to 1200 C
Example: 1-1/2" x 24" x 25' 1.5# Fyre Wrap Elite Unifrax
- For commercial kitchen grease ducts
- Two-hour fire-resistance rating
- Encapsulated in aluminum foil
- High-temperature, biosoluble insulation
- Stable up to 1260 C
Explore our full selection of duct wrap products and request a quote for your project.
Protect Your Building With Fire-Rated Duct Wrap
The right duct wrap can mean the difference between minor and severe fire damage. Fire-rated duct wrap provides passive fire protection for systems ranging from air ventilation to water heaters and can drastically reduce fire and smoke spread.
At Distribution International, we have big-name duct wrap products for a wide range of use cases. Get in touch to talk to an expert about your options and how fire-rated duct wrap can help you!