PPG launched PPG PITT-CHAR NX, its most advanced passive fire protection coating.

PPG PITT-CHAR NX epoxy intumescent coating offers reduced coating thickness, lower weight and faster application, at the same time providing outstanding strength and durability thanks to PPG’s unique flexible technology.

An intumescent coating system designed to protect against the most severe hydrocarbon hazards including – pool fires, jet fires and explosions – PPG PITT-CHAR NX is ideally suited to both onshore and offshore environments in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries. 

“PITT-CHAR NX is a major advance in passive fire protection technology, combining higher safety performance in a thinner, lighter coating that is faster to apply,” said Richard Holliday, global product manager at PPG’s protective and marine coatings business. “We have drawn on over 35 years’ experience to develop, in our own state-of-the-art laboratories, this unique technology which brings major advantages to owners, engineers, fabricators, and applicators.”



The oil and gas industries are facing ever more complex fire scenarios that can potentially involve pool fires, jet fires and explosions in both onshore or offshore environments. These projects also demand fast throughput during fabrication and application to maximize efficiency. Because it is lighter than alternative PFP coatings and cementitious systems, PPG PITT-CHAR NX delivers substantial material savings and reduces both transport and construction costs. 

“We designed PPG PITT-CHAR NX to reduce uncertainty by ensuring it is capable of protecting against the full range of hydrocarbon hazards. Owners and designers no longer need to choose between solutions optimized for jet fire or pool fire; PITT-CHAR NX does both,” Holliday said. “Our system is comprehensively tested to comply with internationally recognized fire test standards for all types and sizes of structural steel and safety critical equipment.”

Extremely tough, yet uniquely flexible, PPG PITT-CHAR NX is designed to eliminate the risk of cracking and delamination during fabrication, transportation and construction. This is critical in today’s global market where transportation and vastly varying climatic conditions can cause challenges for coatings on steel. 

Testing has proven PPG PITT-CHAR NX to be suitable for industrial, marine and offshore exposure without any degradation in fire resistance. It is extensively tested by third parties to the toughest and latest standards from ASTM, ISO, NORSOK, and UL.