COATED FABRICS INCLUDING EXPANDABLE GRAPHITE
A method for preparing a roofing membrane in the form of a roll, comprising the steps of: providing a polymeric membrane; providing a fabric having a coating disposed thereon; attaching the polymeric membrane to the fabric to form a composite; and rolling the composite. Wherein the coating includes expandable graphite dispersed within a binder.
1 . An asphaltic membrane comprising a coated fabric reinforcement, where the coated fabric reinforcement includes a fabric substrate and a coating that includes a binder and expandable graphite dispersed throughout the binder, where the expandable graphite has an onset temperature of at least 160° C.
2 . The asphaltic membrane of claim 1 , wherein the coated fabric reinforcement has a first and second planar surface and wherein both the first and second planar surfaces are coated with asphalt.
3 . The asphaltic membrane of claim 1 wherein the expandable graphite has an onset temperature of at least 170° C.
4 . The asphaltic membrane of claim 1 , wherein the expandable graphite has an onset temperature of at least 180° C.
5 . The asphaltic membrane of claim 1 , wherein the coating is devoid of an inorganic binder.
6 . The asphaltic membrane of claim 1 , wherein the binder is a polymeric binder.
7 . The asphaltic membrane of claim 1 , wherein the fabric substrate is a fleece.
8 . A method for preparing a roofing membrane in the form of a roll, comprising the steps of:
(i) providing a polymeric membrane;
(ii) providing a fabric having a coating disposed thereon, where the coating includes expandable graphite dispersed within a binder;
(iii) attaching the polymeric membrane to the fabric to form a composite; and
(iv) rolling the composite.
9 . The method of claim 1 , where the membrane is a thermoplastic membrane, and where said step of attaching includes mating the backing to the membrane while the membrane is in a molten or semi molten state.
10 . The method of claim 1 , where the membrane is a rubber membrane, and where said step of attaching includes adhesively attaching the membrane to the fabric.
11 . The method of claim 1 , where the expandable graphite has an onset temperature of at least 170° C.
12 . The method of claim 1 , where the expandable graphite has an onset temperature of at least 180° C.
13 . The method of claim 1 , where the coating is devoid of an inorganic binder.
14 . The method of claim 1 , where the binder is a polymeric binder.
15 . A roofing membrane composite formed by a process comprising the steps of:
(i) providing a polymeric membrane;
(ii) providing a fabric having a coating disposed thereon, where the coating includes expandable graphite dispersed within a binder;
(iii) attaching the polymeric membrane to the fabric to form a composite; and
(iv) rolling the composite.
16 . The membrane of claim 8 , where said membrane composite includes (i) a polymeric sheet having first and second planar surfaces; and (ii) a coated fabric secured to a planar surface of the polymeric sheet to thereby form a composite, where the coated fabric includes a fabric substrate and a coating that includes a binder and expandable graphite dispersed throughout the binder, where the expandable graphite has an onset temperature of at least 160° C., and where the membrane composite is in the form of a roll.