Adhesives & Sealants: GrabberGard IFC and EFC Firestop Products
Grabber Construction Products has received test results deeming GrabberGard IFC and EFC firestopping materials chemically compatible with Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC) pipes.
Grabber's IFC and EFC caulkings were tested for chemical compatibility with CPVC pipes using American Society for Testing and Materials 0543, Standard Practices for Evaluating the Resistance of Plastics to Chemical Reagents. Method 0543 measures mass or density change and provides a quick, simple, and inexpensive determination of compatibility of materials.
A material can fail by a change in either mass or density. A material that loses mass has had either bulk material removed or chemicals leached out of it. If enough bulk material is lost, a hole will form. Chemical leaching causes a loss in physical properties. The components most subject to leaching are the plasticizers. When plasticizers are lost, material becomes brittle and subject to breakage.
A change in a material's density can indicate leaching or swelling, the latter of which can cause an increase in permeability. A density increase is caused by the absorption of the caulking, which indicates that the caulking is highly permeable.
At the conclusion of the 0543 tests, there was no change in the density or color of the test samples. From these results, Passive Fire Protection Partners, manufacturer of Grabber Firestopping Products, has concluded that GrabberGard IFC and EFC products are chemically compatible with the tested CPVC pipes, including the CPVC Blazemaster pipe manufactured by Noveon, FlowGuard Gold Pipe and Fittings, and Spears EverTUFF CTS CPVC Pipe.