26. The problem with using Shore D hardness for intumescent coatings (Feat. Michael Hollman)

Summary An intumescent coating can be qualified or disqualified for use simply because it falls above or below a certain magical hardness level, usually as measured on the Shore D scale. But hardness has no influence on performance, and the Shore D scale just doesn’t make sense when assessing softer intumescent technology types. Fireproofing industry veteran Michael Hollman explains the consequences of misusing Shore D hardness in intumescent coating specifications. Also, Michael worries that his brother-in-law might soon beat him at snooker. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 03:01 - How the industry's understanding of hardness has evolved 05:55 - Durometers' importance in measuring coating hardness 07:31 - Matching different Shore scales to different coating technologies 09:39 - When standards are "cut-and-pasted" without context 13:34 - Harder is not universally better 18:15 - Elasticity, damage resistance, and impact recovery 21:12 - Viewing Shore values as a reference point, not a product differentiator 22:40 - The four questions

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26. The problem with using Shore D hardness for intumescent coatings (Feat. Michael Hollman) is an episode from Carboline Tech Service Podcast by Paul Atzemis, Jack Walker.

This episode is 00:29:24 long.

This episode was published on Mar 2, 2026.

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