One of the main profiles of Daneeka Mérnökiroda Kft. is the support of research and development programs of small and medium-sized enterprises. Within this framework, we have already helped our clients obtain capital for the development of several prototypes with the help of both domestic and European tender grants. We would like to present one of these as a food for thought...

Domestic resources are mostly available through the tenders of the National Research, Development and Innovation Office. One of our clients, Kompozitor Kft., received such support for the development of a new, highly fire-resistant chimney liner prototype. The development of their new product under the brand name Furanflex HHR (High Heat Resistance) began in 2017 and was completed in March 2019. The developed new type chimney lining composite is suitable for lining chimneys exposed to higher heat loads and aggressive condensate condensation, for wood, pellet or coal-fired boilers. The development was necessary because the chimney lining systems available on the market are difficult to withstand the double effect that occurs during the burning of this type of fuel. Either they withstand the corrosive effect of the precipitation that condenses in the chimney during the operational load, but they are not adequately heat resistant, or they are adequately heat resistant, but they do not withstand aggressive moisture. Kompozitor Kft., which developed the new prototype, had a composite synthetic resin chimney liner that has adequate heat resistance for wood burning in dry mode for the safe evacuation of flue gases, but in wet mode, for example, the aggressive condensate that appears when burning pellets and the higher, up to 600 °C, resulting from coal burning it cannot withstand operating temperature maximums for a long time either. The development of the efficiency of the heat exchanger elements that are part of modern boilers has been associated with a decrease in the temperature of the exiting flue gases. Condensation precipitation on the chimney wall from lower-temperature smoke is also greater, which results in an increased corrosion effect on the inner side wall of the chimney.

The newly developed FuranFlex HHR chimney lining composite synthetic resin chimney lining pipe for solid fuel combustion systems provides a solution to these problems. During its development, the objectives and expected technical parameters were as follows:

• Higher heat and flame resistance. The long-term heat resistance (lasting for years) of the lining pipe should be above 600 °C, but it should also be able to withstand the extremely high heat load of 1300 °C for 30 minutes, which is important due to fire protection regulations.
• Better moisture and corrosion resistance. The new product should resist the aggressive condensate that leaves the combustion chamber with the smoke when solid fuels are burned and settles on the side walls of the chimney.
• Long service life, which is unprecedented for solid fuel chimneys.
• Easy to install, which is a serious competitive advantage for the new product compared to competitors (chimney lining systems made of steel and ceramic).
• The new fireproof chimney lining pipe should contain no or only reduced amounts of boron compounds as a flame retardant additive, so that it meets the strictest environmental protection requirements.

The development of the new chimney lining pipe was based on the already successful FuranFlex technology. The essence of this is the installation method, where the composite lining pipe is pulled into the existing chimneys in a soft, folded form and then placed under hot steam pressure. As a result of the steam pressure, the soft composite pipe is stretched on the inner side wall of the chimney, then hardens irreversibly, so it is lined airtight from the inside, providing adequate surface protection for the masonry structure. The development of Kompozitor Kft. was successfully completed, resulting in a new product under the brand name Furanflex HHR (High Heat Resistance). The new chimney liner can sustain and safely endure the strong stresses resulting from the characteristics of solid combustion, the higher, in extreme cases, operational heat load reaching 600 °C and possible aggressive condensate condensation. From 2021, Kompozitor Kft. will sell its new chimney lining system that can withstand even higher demands. The development represents significant intellectual added value, as the composite resin product to be developed is a completely new construction, which is entirely based on the knowledge base of Kompozitor Kft.