the present invention is therefore directed to a composition for a fire - protection agent for materials , characterized in that its ingredients include ceramic - forming additives and volume - formers . in a more preferred embodiment the ceramic - forming additives in this case are in powder form . preferably the ceramic - forming additives comprise at least two of the compounds from disodium tetraborate , e . g . borax , ammonium pentaborate , tio 2 , b 2 o 3 and sio 2 . further ceramic - forming additives ( also referred to as glass - formers or ceramic - formers below ) which can be used in accordance with the invention comprise kalso 4 , ammonium pentaborate , na 2 co 3 , cao , sic . particular preference is given to a combination of ammonium pentaborate and disodium tetraborate . the composition of the invention for a fire - protection agent for materials further comprises a volume - former . in the present application , volume - formers are understood to be agents which act as blowing agents and whereby , in the event of heating , the volume of the layer formed by the fire - protection agent is increased . the increase in volume which occurs in this case is preferably at least 500 %, more preferably at least 1000 %, such as at least 4000 % or more , when the fire - protection agent is exposed to heating . this heating must be , for example , at least 100 ° c . volume - formers include gas - formers , which are used alone or in combination with acid - formers . gas - formers are common knowledge in the literature , representatives included here by way of example being : nh 4 cl , nahco 3 , melamine phosphate , melamine , and melamine - coated ammonium polyphosphate . examples that may be mentioned of acid - formers include the following : melamine phosphate , aluminum sulfate , ammonium sulfate , ammonium polysulfate , ammonium monophosphate , and exolit 422 ( trade name of clariant , germany ). auxiliaries may likewise be present in the composition of the invention ; representatives of auxiliaries that may be mentioned here include , by way of example : kalso 4 , al ( oh ) 3 , aluminum sulfate , pentaerythritol , dipentaerythritol . the composition of the invention allows a ceramic coat of great density to develop on heating . the increase in thickness of the ceramic coat that is achieved by virtue of the composition of the invention makes it possible to protect coatable materials and components from unwanted heating for a relatively long time . in other words , the ceramic - forming composition which forms an insulating layer undergoes alteration as a result of changes in the ambient conditions . in the present case , as a result of an increase in temperature , and when a limit temperature is exceeded , an increase in volume is brought about — for example , a voluminous carbon layer is developed . the temperature range within which protection begins can be regulated within a range from 110 ° c . to 220 ° c . by means , for example , of combining the individual components . this allows a ceramic coat to be developed with high strength and high thermal insulation capacity in conjunction with high coat thickness . hence the material is protected against unwanted heating for a relatively long time . the development of the desired volume of the insulating layer or fire - protection coat can be achieved through the formation of a carbon foam or through the use of other blowing agents . the invention is therefore directed on the one hand to compositions for fire - protection agents for materials composed of conventional intumescent carbon foam - formers . it is possible to add ceramic powders , i . e ., ceramic - forming additives , to the conventional intumescent carbon foam - former in order to give a composition of the invention . on the other hand the present invention is also directed to compositions which comprise other volume - developing agents , such as aluminum hydroxide . in this case a voluminous ceramicized coat is obtained . in accordance with the invention , then , it is possible to use ceramic - forming ( ceramicizing ) additives as an addition to existing insulating protectants / carbon foam - formers . alternatively , the composition of the invention allows the development of an insulation - protectant coat through use of other blowing agents . a composition of the invention is for example ( all percentages below are in percent by weight , unless indicated otherwise ). 3 % to 30 % by weight of a film - forming binder based on a polybutadiene resin 20 % to 55 % by weight of an additive which is vitrifying / ceramicizing on exposure to heat 30 % to 70 % by weight of a solvent - free , silane / siloxane - based silicone microemulsion , preferably 40 % to 62 %, more preferably 50 % to 56 % 3 % to 30 % by weight of a film - forming binder based on a polybutadiene resin , preferably 4 % to 20 %, more preferably 6 % to 10 % 0 % to 2 % by weight of a crosslinker based on a dicyanate 20 % to 55 % by weight of an additive which is vitrifying / ceramicizing on exposure to heat , preferably 30 % to 40 % by weight of a mixture of different resins based on formaldehyde - urea resins 6 % to 13 % by weight of an additive which is vitrifying / ceramicizing on exposure to heat the additive which is ceramicizing / vitrifying on exposure to heat is one comprising 12 % to 88 % disodium tetraborate , 12 % to 88 % b 2 o 3 and / or 12 % to 88 % sio 2 . the additive may further comprise other glass - formers and / or ceramic - formers , such as na 2 co 3 , kalso 4 , ammonium pentaborate , cao , sic . if ceramic - forming additives are added as an additive to conventional intumescent carbon foam - formers , the composition of said additive is in one preferred embodiment : in the abovementioned preferred embodiments it is possible for pentaerythritol , if present , to be replaced by dipentaerythritol . the same applies to ammonium polyphosphate , which can be replaced by ammonium monophosphate . a further preferred embodiment comprises paints based on formaldehyde - melamine resin , such as , for example , one following preferred embodiment : a further possibility is a silicone rubber - based coating , such as a composition including the following constituents : as coatings for the exterior sector it is possible to conceive mdi - based coatings , such as coatings having the following composition : the above composition can be added as an additive to conventional coating compositions for the exterior sector . finally the ceramic - forming additives and volume - formers may also be added to conventional radiation - curable coating systems . mention may be made here , by way of example , of a radiation - curable coating system that can be cured using uv radiation : to the abovementioned radiation - curable coating composition it is possible to add the aforementioned additives , for example , with a fraction of 30 % to 55 % by weight , based on the fraction of the uv coating material . as dispersants , pigment , defoamers , and flow control additives , substances were used of the kind customarily used for paints , coating materials , and fire - protection agents . the constituents of the ceramic - forming additive are preferably finely ground before being dispersed in the other constituents of the fire - protection agent ; for example , the constituents are ground in a ball mill in the absence of moisture for 0 to 3 days prior to dispersion . this is followed by incorporation of the powder mixture by dispersion into the further constituents of the fire - protection agent . the preferred embodiment of the fire - protection agent thus comprises ceramic - forming additives in powder form . in one preferred embodiment the individual constituents , and especially the constituents of the acid - formers and / or gas - formers , are in nanoencapsulated form ; for example , the individual constituents may be present in the form of salts having particle sizes of 1 to 50 μm which have been coated with nanoparticles . this coating or encapsulation takes place with carnauba wax or sio 2 for example , by known methods . the method includes , for example , a physical method . in that case the gas - formers and / or acid - formers are preferably in a form in which they are encased or encapsulated with nanoparticles . in particular , ammonium chloride may be coated with carnauba wax , ammonium chloride with sio 2 , diboron trioxide with carnauba wax , diboron trioxide with sio 2 , sodium hydrogencarbonate with carnauba wax , sodium hydrogencarbonate with sio 2 , ammonium sulfate with carnauba wax , ammonium sulfate with sio 2 , potassium aluminum sulfate × 18 h 2 o with carnauba wax , potassium aluminum sulfate × 18 h 2 o with sio 2 , calcium oxide with carnauba wax , calcium oxide with sio 2 . this makes it possible , among other things , for the coated substances to be less sensitive to water and to ph . as a result it is possible , for example , for no prior reactions to take place during storage of the composition . a further substantial advantage of encapsulating or encasing the gas - formers and / or acid - formers in particular is that these substances can be combined with further components in a composition whose combination would be otherwise impossible , for reasons of incompatibility . by way of example mention may be made here of the use of acid - sensitive components in acidic resins . moreover , the encapsulation or encasing of the constituents of the compositions of the invention allows certain constituents of the compositions to react with one another at precisely defined times . in the present case , for example , the use of encapsulation or encasing of the gas - formers and / or acid - formers allows the reaction of these compounds to be regulated . in the case of fire - protection agents , temperature control , in particular , is required . encapsulation with carnauba wax , for example , which begins to melt above about 72 ° c ., allows the gas - formers and / or acid - formers not to react until above about 100 ° c . and hence the beginning of the development of the voluminous protective coat . the regulable temperature range within which protection is built up is preferably situated in the range from 110 ° c . to 220 ° c . this system , depicted above , therefore allows the development of intelligent coating systems and combinations of substances in compositions which would otherwise be impossible , owing to incompatibilities between the individual components . in one further embodiment of the invention the solid constituents in the composition are present as nanoparticles having an average particle size of 1 to 150 nm , preferably 4 to 120 nm . using these nanoparticles makes it possible to produce transparent dispersion coatings , such as transparent varnishes . the fire - protection agents of the invention are notable , for example , for the fact that the surface temperature of the substrate after a period of 180 minutes &# 39 ; fire exposure , according to unit temperature , is below 300 ° c . moreover , the paint coat is climatically resistant in accordance with pren 927 - 6 . the expandability value of the coating is , for example , 60 % or more . the ceramic additives and / or volume - formers can also be incorporated into other materials . these further materials include polymers , cable sheathings , etc . incorporation into other materials , such as wood materials , extruded materials , wood - plastic composites , cfp , and concrete is likewise possible . incorporating ceramic additives and / or volume - formers into cable sheathings , for example , allows the provision of increased insulation - protectant coats in the case of cables , for which fire protection of this kind has not hitherto been possible . the present invention is based on the finding that the development of voluminous ceramic layers , which if appropriate constitute a hybrid system of carbon foam and ceramic coat , allows improved protection of materials against unwanted heating . above a defined elevated temperature of 100 ° c ., for example , such as a range from 110 ° c . to 220 ° c ., which can be adjusted by varying the individual components , for example , the binder softens , and gases are given off . as a result of the gas - forming reaction , the softened binder is foamed and , above a further - elevated temperature of 200 ° c ., for example , a vitreous ceramic is formed first of all , and with further - increasing temperature a true ceramic is developed . in the case of a system with a carbon layer , thermal exposure is first accompanied by development of a carbon layer , which at further - increased temperatures of 350 ° c ., for example , develops into a vitreous ceramic ; this vitreous ceramic increases the physical robustness of the carbon foam substantially . the reaction sequence can be described , therefore , as follows . as the temperature rises , first of all an acid is released . the acid reacts with the carbon - former . in parallel with this , the gas - forming reaction begins , and leads to an increase in volume . in the course of this procedure , the ceramic additives as well are distributed over the entire volume - increased layer . at a further - increased temperature , first a vitreous ceramic is formed , and at even higher temperatures develops into a true ceramic . an important point here is that the reactions coincide with the softening of the binder matrix . the protection which develops may be distinguished by development of a true ceramic from the ceramic - forming additives over the entire range . with the inventive use of the fire - protection coating , more slender constructions are possible . for example , for an uncoated , load - bearing pine support , dimensions of 14 / 14 are required with fire protection necessitating an f30 configuration and dimensions of 12 / 12 being necessary from a structural engineering standpoint . if , on the other hand , the support is given the fire - protection coating , dimensions of 12 / 12 are a possibility . the fire - protection coating described here is particularly advantageous in the context of fulfilling fire - protection requirements in building stock . for example , many multistory buildings erected at the beginning of the 20th century have a wooden staircase . the entrance doors to the apartments are usually likewise in wood . constructions of this kind in no way meet modern - day fire - protection requirements ; nevertheless , preservation applies . as soon as the preservation is lifted , as a result , for example , of substantial renovations or conversions , massive conversions of the stairwell are required . in this case there have to date been two possible solutions : either the wooden stairs are completely replaced , or , as a compensation measure , as part of a fire - protection concept , a complete sprinkler system is installed in the stairwell . in the case of the second solution , it will generally be necessary to back the staircase construction with fire - protection panels . both solutions represent a massive intervention into the substance of the building , and alter the character of a building . a further factor is that both solutions entail considerable costs . with the inventive use of the fire - protection coating it is possible to bring a wooden stairwell up to fire - protection standards without massive intervention in the substance of the building , while at the same time preserving its constructional character . in comparison to those available previously , this solution is significantly less expensive and more rapid to implement . similar considerations apply to wooden roof trusses or to other wooden structures in existing buildings . the minimal intervention in the substance of a building predestines the above - described invention for future assurance of fire protection for historic buildings and cultural artifacts . in the preservation of monuments in particular , indeed , there is a very strong field of conflict between the requirements of fire protection and the claims of monument preservation . the use of fire - alarm and sprinkler systems is under criticism not only from the standpoint of constructional intervention . the installation of a sprinkler system harbors the risk in principle of water damage which under certain circumstances may cause greater destruction of cultural artifacts than a fire . with the passing of the new german model building code it will in future be possible to erect multistory wooden buildings with up to five full stories . the effective fire - protection coating it requires , which shall protect the construction from catching light for more than 60 minutes , can be produced in accordance with the prior art only by cladding with gypsum plasterboard and gypsum fiberboard panels . this solution involves a high level of construction cost and complexity , and is problematic when settling is likely in the building . a further factor is that cladding hides the aesthetics of the wood material and the wooden construction . the inventive use of the coating , on the other hand , allows a simpler construction and has no problems with settling in buildings . a transparent version of the coating restricts the aesthetics of the wooden construction hardly at all . specimens measuring 90 × 230 cm were produced from industrial chipboard panels of grade v100 , having a density of 400 kg / m 2 and a thickness of 1 cm . the fire properties were characterized using a modified test according to din 4102 for materials in fire resistance class b 2 . in contradistinction to the specified flame exposure time of 15 s , flame exposure was carried out for 10 minutes . after 10 minutes the extent of pyrolysis was determined in cross section , using a microscope , and the loss of mass from the samples using a balance . in the region of flame exposure , pyrolysis had after 10 minutes progressed throughout the sample &# 39 ; s cross section . the loss of mass averaged 6 %. a sample produced as in example 1 was given the fire - protection coating . the dry - film thickness of the coating was approximately 1 mm . the coating consisted of after 10 minutes of flame exposure the extent of pyrolysis in cross section and the loss of mass of the samples were determined as described in example 1 . the loss of mass was less than 1 %, and there was no pyrolysis of the wood component of the specimen . specimens measuring 100 × 200 cm were produced from industrial chipboard panels of the same grade as in example 1 , for fire shaft investigations in accordance with din 4102 - 4 . in accordance with din standard , the investigations were terminated after 2 minutes , since the limiting criterion of the smoke - gas temperature was exceeded . for comparison , in a further experiment the termination criterion was ignored . the chipboard samples were completely consumed by combustion , with vigorous production of smoke and heat , within 7 minutes . temperatures of up to 800 ° c . were measured in the smoke gas . specimens as in example 3 were additionally provided with the fire - protection coating . the dry - film thickness of the coating was determined as being 1 mm . within the 10 - minute experimental period there was no burning and no development of flame at the surface . an investigation of the chipboard panel after the experiment showed that there had been no pyrolysis of the panel . specimens 1 m long were produced from a commercially customary cable of type nhxmh - j 3 × 2 . 5 . these specimens were coated with a variant of the fire - protection coating : the dry - film thickness of the coating was adjusted to 0 . 5 mm . the coated samples were investigated for their fire behavior in accordance with din vde 0250 - 215 ( vde 0250 part 215 ): 2002 - 04 . no flame spread was found at the surface . in the region of flame exposure , no pyrolysis of the cable insulation was found beneath the fire - protection coating .