Product Information Sheet

XPE -AV4®

Substrate Support Mat

Introduction
Unifrax is pleased to introduce XPE®-AV4 the
latest member to the XPE® intumescent support
mat system product family.
XPE-AV4 is an advanced intumescent with
improved low-temperature performance and is
designed to function as a mechanical support
and exhaust gas seal for ceramic substrates.
Support mat durability is critical to assure a
robust design for high-efficiency emission control Product Availability
systems. Currently, the market employs a variety Basis Nominal Nominal
of mechanisms to improve cold holding perfor- Weight Thickness Installed Gap
mance and erosion resistance. However, these (g/m2) mm mm
techniques add cost as well as extra production
3500 7.8 3.9
steps to the system.
3750 8.3 4.2
XPE-AV4 eliminates these costs by offering
4500 10.0 5.0
improved cold holding at substrate skin temperature
5400 12.0 6.0
below 300°C, while maintaining high temperature
performance above 950°C. XPE-AV4 also offers
excellent erosion resistance and is not affected
by gasoline, diesel, water or urea condensates, Typical Composition & Properties
making it ideal for a wide range of exhaust after- Fibers 42-54%
treatment systems including low temperatures Vermiculite 40-50%
under body converters or flex-fuel systems. Loss on Ignition 6-15%
XPE-AV4 has been designed to provide robust
performance without the need for wire mesh ring
protection (for erosion) or heat treatment for
additional holding force at low temperatures.
Canning Performance
XPE-AV4 is typically installed at a nominal gap bulk density (GBD) of 0.90 g/cm3. The room temperature compression behavior
of XPE-AV4 is shown in Figure 1. The GBD range for each specific application will be defined according to the requirements for
holding force and substrate strength. Unifrax provides a global network of application engineering services and will provide a
support mat recommendation specific to your system design.

Typical Cold Compression Curve

XPE ®-AV4 Substrate Support Mat
2000
Peak Pressure
Residual Pressure (Pres300)

1500
Pressure [kPa]

1000

500

0
0.75 0.85 0.95 1.05
GBD [g/cm3]

Figure 1: Typical Cold Compression Curve for XPE-AV4 support mat.

Erosion Resistance
Support mat erosion may occur as a result of improper support mat installation or due to lack of holding force of the fiber matrix.
Different types of support mat are more susceptible to erosion than others. XPE-AV4 has been designed specifically to present a
low erosion profile. Figure 2 presents comparative erosion loss for different support mat types as a function of GBD.

Comparative Erosion Performance

XPE ®-AV4 Support Mat vs. Current Products
0.30
XPE-AV4
Traditional Intumescent Mat
0.25
Advanced Intumescent Mat
Volume Loss, cm3

0.20

0.15

0.10

0.05

0.00
Minimum Nominal GBD Maximum
Recommended Normalized Application Density Range Recommended
GBD GBD

Figure 2: Comparative erosion data for XPE-AV4.

Form C-3146
Effective 11/14
© 2014, Unifrax I LLC
All Rights Reserved
Printed in USA
Page 2 of 4
Support Mat Aging Performance
XPE-AV4 is designed to present robust performance at operating temperatures below 300°C. Figure 3 presents the aged mat
pressure of XPE-AV4 when installed at its nominal GBD. Factors such as design nominal gap and thermal shell expansion also
influence support mat performance. Please contact our Application Engineering Department for additional information regarding
the performance of XPE-AV4 under specific operating conditions.

Aged Mat Pressure vs. Temperature

(XPE-AV4 – Nominal GBD – 5.66" x 4.60" Cord. Sub. 6mm Gap)
500 5
XPE-AV4 4.3%
Advanced Intumescent Mat
400 4
% Gap Expansion

% Gap Expansion
300 3

1.7%
200 2

1%
100 1
Typical Required Pressure

0 0
275 [130] 400 [200] 950 [450]
Substrate Skin Temperature (°C)
[Shell Temperature (°C)]

Figure 3: XPE-AV4 comparative support mat aging test as a function of temperature.

Worldwide Technical Support

Unifrax is a worldwide sales and service organization with several international locations and representatives. The services that
we provide include thermal modeling, system design engineering assistance, and failure analysis as well as technical exchange
programs. For additional information regarding XPE-AV4 or any of our catalytic support mats, please contact the Unifrax Emission
Control Application Engineering Department at 716-768-6461or aecoordinator@unifrax.com.

Data are average results of tests conducted under standard Refer to the product Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for
procedures and are subject to variation. Results should not recommended work practices and other product safety
be used for specification purposes. information.

Form C-3146
Effective 11/14
© 2014, Unifrax I LLC
All Rights Reserved
Printed in USA
Page 3 of 4
Form C-3146
Effective 11/14
Unifrax I LLC
© 2014, Unifrax I LLC Corporate Headquarters
All Rights Reserved 600 Riverwalk Parkway
Printed in USA
Page 4 of 4 Suite 120
The following is a registered trademark of Unifrax: XPE. Tonawanda, NY 14150
The test data shown are average results of tests conducted under standard procedures and are subject to variation. Results should not be
Telephone: 716-768-6500
used for specification purposes. Internet: www.unifrax.com
Product Information Sheets are periodically updated by Unifrax. Before relying on any data or other information in this Product Information Email: info@unifrax.com
Sheet, you should confirm that it is still current and has not been superseded. A Product Information Sheet that has been superseded may
contain incorrect, obsolete and/or irrelevant data and other information.