Fire resistant roofing products

1. A method of producing a fire resistant material comprising the steps of:

(a) continuously advancing an indefinite length of a core sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface and a sheet of conductive material selected from the group consisting of aluminum wire mesh, copper wire mesh, steel wire mesh, and nonwoven mats of metal wire, having a first surface and a second surface,

(b) coextensively bonding the first surface of the sheet of conductive material to a first predetermined surface of the core sheet,

(c) forming a first predetermined bituminous layer by applying a first polymer-modified bituminous material having fire-resistant properties to the second surface of the sheet of conductive material and forming a second predetermined bituminous layer by applying a second polymer-modified bituminous material having non-fire-resistant properties and a higher oil content than the first polymer-modified bituminous material to a second predetermined surface of the core sheet, the first bituminous layer and the second bituminous layer providing a top bituminous layer and a bottom bituminous layer, and

(d) embedding granules in at least a portion of the top bituminous layer.

2. A method of producing fire resistant material according to claim 1 wherein the first predetermined surface of the core sheet is the top surface of the core sheet, the second predetermined surface of the core sheet is the bottom surface of the core sheet, the first predetermined bituminous layer is the top bituminous layer, and the second predetermined bituminous layer is the bottom bituminous layer.

3. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 1 , wherein said core sheet comprises a non-woven mat.

4. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 1 , wherein the core sheet and the sheet of conductive material are bonded with an adhesive.

5. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 1 , wherein the core sheet and the sheet of conductive material are bonded via needle puncturing.

6. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet of conductive material has a thermal conductivity greater than about 25 W/m-K.

7. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 1 , wherein the granules embedded in the top bituminous layer form a top surface, the top surface providing solar reflectivity.

8. A method of producing a fire resistant material comprising the steps of:

(a) continuously advancing an indefinite length of a core sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface and a sheet of conductive material selected from the group consisting of aluminum wire mesh, copper wire mesh, steel wire mesh, and nonwoven mats of metal wire, having a first surface and a second surface,

(b) coextensively bonding the first surface of the sheet of conductive material to a first predetermined surface of the core sheet,

(c) forming a first bituminous layer by applying a first polymer-modified bituminous material to the second surface of the sheet of conductive material and forming a second bituminous layer by applying a second polymer-modified bituminous material having a higher oil content than the first polymer modified material to a second predetermined surface of the core sheet, the first bituminous layer and the second bituminous layer providing a top bituminous layer and a bottom bituminous layer, and

(d) embedding granules in at least a portion of the top bituminous layer.

9. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 8 , wherein the granules embedded in the top bituminous layer form a top surface, the top surface providing solar reflectivity.

10. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 8 , wherein the first polymer-modified bituminous material has fire-resistant properties.

11. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 8 , wherein the second polymer-modified bituminous material has non-fire-resistant properties.

12. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 8 , wherein said core sheet comprises a non-woven mat.

13. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 8 , wherein the core sheet and the sheet of conductive material are bonded with an adhesive.

14. A method of producing a fire resistant material comprising the steps of:

(a) continuously advancing an indefinite length of a core sheet having a top surface and a bottom surface and a sheet of conductive material selected from the group consisting of aluminum wire mesh, copper wire mesh, steel wire mesh, and nonwoven mats of metal wire, and having a thermal conductivity greater than about 25 W/m-K and having a first surface and a second surface,

(b) coextensively bonding the first surface of the sheet of conductive material to a first predetermined surface of the core sheet,

(c) forming a first bituminous layer by applying a first polymer-modified bituminous material to the second surface of the sheet of conductive material and forming a second bituminous layer by applying a second polymer-modified bituminous material having a higher oil content than the first polymer modified material to a second predetermined surface of the core sheet, the first bituminous layer and the second bituminous layer providing a top bituminous layer and a bottom bituminous layer, and

(d) embedding granules in at least a portion of the top bituminous layer.

15. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 14 , wherein the first polymer-modified bituminous material has fire-resistant properties.

16. A method of producing a fire resistant material according to claim 14 , wherein the granules embedded in the top bituminous layer form a top surface, the top surface providing solar reflectivity.