Sherwin-Williams’ FIRETEX FX5092: A More Efficient, Sustainable Water-Based Intumescent Coating for Structural Steel

Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings announced the launch of the latest enhancement to its FIRETEX range of water based intumescent coatings. Developed to provide performance and service improvements over the long established FIRETEX FX5090. FIRETEX FX5092 builds on this proven platform to deliver enhancements to the specifier, applicator, and facility owners and inhabitants.

The new formulation, for interior structural steel applications, provides up to 120 minutes of fire protection, at a lower thickness than its predecessor. In addition, the wider scope of protection delivered by FX5092 ensures product simplicity is achieved with the need for just one material to cover the whole job, delivering complexity and cost reductions from one product.

What’s more, FIRETEX FX5092 is formulated to meet and comply with ever demanding and evolving sustainability and green building standards, such as LEED and BREEAM. With lower volatile organic compounds (VOC) than the predecessor materials, FIRETEX FX5092 ensures lower odour and emissions for those applying and installing the product, and a cleaner air environment for those who work and live in the building: all without compromising on critical fire protection performance needs.

This enhancement has also increased the product’s shelf life, from six to 12 months compared to FX5090. Not only does this help distributors and contractors better manage their inventory, particularly where seasonal weather conditions limit the application window for water-based coatings, but it also supports international shipping by providing a longer usable product life post-delivery.

What has not changed is Sherwin-Williams’ unparalleled expert support, and local, UK production supports flexibility on requests.

FIRETEX FX5092 also maintains the familiar application process used with FIRETEX FX5090, allowing existing users to benefit from the improved overall performance with minimal disruption.

FIRETEX FX5092: Key features

• Increased productivity through higher film builds: reduces number of coats and overall labour required;
• 12-month shelf life for easier inventory management;
• Lower VOC (0.66 g/l) achieving the highest level of green building objectives;
• Up to two hours of fire resistance in indoor environments (ISO 12944-2 categories up to C3);
• Available through NBS Source, enabling faster specification and helping architects and engineers choosing a compliant fire protection solution
• Aesthetic finish. Designed to protect and enhance exposed structural steel, giving a clean and smooth finish.

Alex Tsiolas, fire protection portfolio manager at Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, said: “FIRETEX is the leading brand for structural fire protection in the UK because of decades of trusted products and service that architects, contractors, and applicators know they can rely on, project after project. With continuous development, we make sure that trust extends across the whole specification: that FIRETEX is the answer whatever the requirements are.

“Our new FIRETEX FX5092 reflects that perfectly, closing the gap for thin hollow sections in our water-based on-site offer. It brings improved coverage, lower dry film thickness requirements, reduced VOC content, and a longer shelf life, delivering real efficiency gains across the chain.

“Following our recently introduced new solvent-based on-site product, FX1008, this launch continues the work of strengthening what’s already the leading on-site fire protection offer in the UK: one specification, one trusted supplier, from design through to application.