In just one month, another serious explosion involving Chinese-related ships stung the nerves of the shipping industry!

On July 6, the “Fulda” finished oil/chemical tanker flying the Hong Kong flag suddenly exploded violently during gas-freeing operations in the waters near Kandla, India.

This once again warns at the cost of blood: the safety barrier of ships, especially oil and chemical ships, cannot tolerate any gaps! When flammable steam meets potential ignition sources, how to build an unbreakable fire and explosion chain? TST seal MCT penetration sealing system, with intrinsic safety as the core, builds a key line of defense for high-risk operations of ships.

Gas-freeing operation: Deep warning of high-risk detonation points

The “Fulda” accident occurred during gas-freeing operations. This is an essential operation before and after the loading and unloading of oil and chemical ships, aimed at replacing flammable and explosive gases in the cargo hold. However, this process itself is like “seeking the skin of a tiger”:

Flammable vapor diffuses
A large amount of flammable and explosive gases (such as oil-gas mixtures) are discharged and spread.
Ignition sources are everywhere
Electrical sparks, static electricity, high-temperature surfaces, external open flames… Any tiny energy may become the fuse of a disaster.
Risk diffusion channel
If the holes through the bulkheads and decks of cables and pipes are not sealed tightly or the fire and explosion resistance is insufficient, it will become a fatal weakness:
Dangerous gas penetration
Flammable vapor can easily penetrate these “gaps” into the living area, engine room and other spaces that should be safe. Once it encounters an ignition source there (such as running electrical equipment), the consequences are disastrous.
Flame spread path
When a fire occurs, unqualified penetration parts cannot effectively block flames and high temperatures, causing the fire to spread rapidly to adjacent areas and detonate more combustibles.

Penetration seal: the “key gate” in the fire and explosion chain

In ship safety design, fire separation (class A, class B) is the lifeline to prevent the spread of fire and explosion. The cables and pipes that run through these partitions are the weakest link in the safety barrier. The performance of its sealing system directly determines the strength of the “firewall” of the entire ship.

TST seal fireproof blocking module was born to solve this core pain point and protect the safety of ships with excellent performance:

01 Indestructible fire barrier

Exceeding standards: Meet the highest level A-60 and A-0 fire resistance requirements of IMO FTP rules, effectively block flames and high temperatures from penetrating for more than 60 minutes, and buy golden time for personnel escape and fire fighting.

Highest risk level: Meet the requirements of HL3, the highest level of fire risk in the EN 45545-2 standard.

Long-lasting protection: Meet the 2h and 3h fire protection levels in the GB 23864 standard, and pass the CUTR (Eurasian Union) 2h fire protection certification, providing long-term safety protection for ships.

02 Strong explosion resistance

Face the impact: meet the strict Ex e ПC Gb and Ex e IIC Gc explosion-proof grade requirements of IEC 60079 “Explosive Environment”.

Hard-core explosion resistance: can effectively prevent 1.8MPa explosion shock wave, maintain structural integrity in extreme explosion accidents, prevent secondary disasters and flame spread, and is the key line of defense against sudden explosions in high-risk scenarios such as purge operations.

03 Watertight sealing performance

High-pressure sealing: depending on the model, the watertight and airtight performance can reach 0.3 MPa ~ 0.5 MPa high-pressure level, ensuring zero leakage of dangerous gases (such as purge steam) and liquids, and strictly isolating dangerous areas from safe areas.

No worries after earthquake: After the vibration and shock test is strictly carried out according to IEC 61373 or GB/T 21563 standards, the sealing protection level still maintains IP68 (completely dustproof, continuous underwater immersion and water-proof), adapting to the harsh vibration environment of ships, and the sealing is durable and reliable.

04 Electromagnetic safety and environmental adaptability

Electromagnetic shielding: In the wide frequency range of 14kHz~18GHz, the shielding efficiency reaches 42~63dB, effectively suppressing electromagnetic interference and preventing potential ignition sources such as electrical sparks.

Green and safe: The product is non-toxic and halogen-free, complies with the EU RoHS 2.0 directive and the most stringent requirements for restricted substances, and is low-smoke and non-toxic when burning, protecting personnel safety to the maximum extent.

Super weather resistance: Adopt modular EPDM fireproof material and unique sealing structure design, resistant to acid, alkali, salt and oil corrosion, adapt to extreme temperature difference from -52℃ to 90℃, pass the rigorous tests of high temperature, low temperature, humidity, UV aging, ozone aging, salt spray corrosion and other international/European/national standards, and have a service life of up to 30 years.

Intelligent design

Dynamic variable diameter technology: Covering Φ15~500mm cables/pipes, perfectly adapting to later expansion adjustments.

Reserved expansion space: Automatically compensate for thermal expansion and contraction of pipelines to avoid sealing failure.

Maintenance-free: No special maintenance is required after installation, saving worry and effort.

Compliance and upgrade: The safety of old ships is urgent

The “Fulda” was built in 1999, once again highlighting the potential risks brought by the aging of old ship equipment. International regulations such as the SOLAS Convention have mandatory requirements for ship fire separation and penetration sealing. Using a penetration sealing system that meets and exceeds the highest standards is not only a regulatory bottom line, but also a responsibility to life, property and the environment.

With its excellent performance, the TST seal fireproof sealing module has successfully passed the strict certification of international authoritative classification societies such as CCS (China Classification Society) and RS (Russian Maritime Register), and is a reliable choice for improving the level of intrinsic safety in ship design, construction, maintenance and upgrading.

Action Call: Build a safe future for ships together

Every accident is a painful lesson. Ship safety is no small matter, and the chain of fire and explosion prevention must be interlocked and reliable. TST seal MCT penetration sealing system is committed to becoming the strongest and smartest cornerstone of your ship’s “firewall”.

To shipowners/management companies
You can focus on the key role played by the new generation of modular fireproof sealing products in cable and pipe penetration sealing scenarios. The product adopts modular EPDM fireproof material and unique sealing structure design, which can effectively delay the spread of fire. It can be regarded as one of the safe investments with the lowest investment and the greatest benefit.
To shipyards/design institutes
When building or renovating ships, start from the source and select cable and pipe penetration and sealing products that meet the highest fire and explosion protection standards. This is not only the choice of key fire protection devices, but also injects a strong safety gene into the ship.
Alarm bells ringing, build safety together
After learning from the pain, the alarm bells ringing! In order to pray that such tragedies will never happen again, we hereby solemnly call on shipbuilding companies, shipping agencies, scientific research institutes and industry associations and other forces from all walks of life: to jointly promote the technical research and development and innovative breakthroughs of domestic penetration and sealing products, and to build a safety line with ingenuity. May all parties work together to contribute greater strength to the safety and progress of shipbuilding and maritime affairs!