Feb 2 2011
International Barrier Technology Inc. ("Barrier") (OTCBB: IBTGF) (TSX-V: IBH), the developer and manufacturer of Pyrotite®, a proprietary fire-resistant building material, is pleased to announce new Underwriters Laboratories of Canada (ULC) Listing Certifications acquired through recent R&D testing.
Barrier's Pyrotite® fire-resistant building products, currently marketed as LP® FlameBlock® Fire-Rated OSB sheathing (Blazeguard®, historically) are now certified for use with the ULC logo and stamp for structural wall assemblies and flame spread.
In November, Dr. Michael Huddy, CEO of Barrier, and Robert Palardy, Manager of Technology at LP® Building Products, traveled to Toronto to witness fire tests performed at a UL Canada test center. While Pyrotite® products have already passed UL tests in the United States, Canadian performance standards are slightly different, necessitating the additional testing. Tests were run on three different samples/assemblies featuring the company's Pyrotite-coated sheathing from 3/8" up to 23/32" thicknesses.
Test results were "0" for Flame Spread and "less than 5" for Smoke Developed; both are exceptional, as the lower the number in either category the better.
The companies' current U.S. UL structural wall assemblies: U348, U349 and U350 are now available and listed in Canada as W323, W324, and W325.
"There are emerging market opportunities in Alberta in particular, in the wildfire and oil shale areas," Dr. Huddy says of the Canadian fire-rated construction market. "We were restricted from selling in Canada until we had Canadian certifications. The analog is that Alberta is to Canada as California is to the United States in terms of fire code development. Both are taking the lead in their respective countries."
"Not only is Barrier extremely pleased with the test results, but also excited to pursue additional market opportunities throughout Canada based on these new approvals and through further study of the Canadian codes," states Dr. Huddy.