Effect of Fire-Retardant Coatings and Accelerated-Weathering on the Flammability of Wood-Based Materials in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Communities

Dubrulle, Laura; Zammarano, Mauro; Davis, Rick D.

doi:10.6028/nist.tn.2094

Cited by 5 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…The values for WRC and WPC1 samples are in good general agreement with cone calorimeter results for similar materials published in previous studies [75,76].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Wind-driven fire spread to a structure from fences and mulch

Butler

2022

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A series of field experiments was conducted to examine the effects on fire spread toward a structure for combustible fences and mulch under conditions that may be encountered in a wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire. The fire behavior of a variety of materials, designs, and configurations were studied under various wind conditions. The 187 experiments were split into five categories: mulch only, fence only, fence plus mulch, parallel fences, and long range firebrand experiments. Fence materials included western redcedar, California redwood, pine, vinyl, and wood-plastic composites, and fence styles included privacy, lattice, and good neighbor (board on board). The tested mulch types were shredded hardwood, mini pine bark nuggets, pine straw, rubber, and artificial turf. A wind machine provided a mean wind speed between 6 m/s and 14 m/s (13 mi/h to 31 mi/h). The fence and/or mulch bed was ignited by a propane burner on the ground at the end farthest from the structure. A small structure was located between 0 m and 1.83 m (0 ft to 6 ft) downwind of the fence or mulch bed as a target for flames and firebrands. A target mulch bed at the base of the structure tested the ability of firebrands produced by the burning fence and mulch bed to ignite spot fires that threatened the structure.

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“…The values for WRC and WPC1 samples are in good general agreement with cone calorimeter results for similar materials published in previous studies [75,76].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Wind-driven fire spread to a structure from fences and mulch

Butler

2022

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“…Ultimately, cone data revealed that the control formulation with a PHRR of about 120 kW/m 2 and an EHC of about 5 MJ/kg had an intrinsically low flammability. For reference, red cedar—which is a wood type commonly used in USA for fencing—has an EHC of about 11 MJ/m 2 measured by micro combustion calorimetry and a PHRR of about 190 kW/m 2 measured by cone calorimetry at an external heat flux of 50 kW/m 2 [ 27 ]. At the same 50 kW/m 2 heat flux in the cone calorimeter, Hasburgh et al [ 28 ] reported values of PHRR and THR for MDF-based panels of about 250 kW/m 2 and 170 MJ/m 2 , respectively; White et al [ 14 ] reported values of PHRR between 176 and 249 kW/m 2 and values of THR between 92 and 329 MJ/m 2 for various types of wood species; White et al [ 14 ] also reported values of PHRR between 374 and 1790 kW/m 2 and values of THR between 171 and 609 MJ/m 2 for various types of wood plastic composites.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The fire performance of lumber can be temporarily improved by using fire retardant coatings but the effect of the coatings has been found to be negligible after just a few months due to weathering [ 27 , 29 ]; thus, a material with an intrinsically low flammability like the OFMSW recycled panels might be preferable in outdoor applications. As shown above, the fire performance of OFMSW panels can be further improved by fire retardants.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As shown above, the fire performance of OFMSW panels can be further improved by fire retardants. Even if we did not measure the effect of weathering on the fire-retardant panels, their fire performance is not expected to be affected by weathering as much as in fire retardant coated wood, where cracking, peeling, and leaching in the fire retardant coating can lead to a drastic and rapid decrease of the fire performance within few months [ 27 , 29 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Optimizing Flame Retardancy and Durability of Melamine-Formaldehyde/Solid-Urban-Waste Composite Panels

et al. 2021

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In our previous study, an innovative method for sterilization, inertization, and valorization of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), to be recycled in the production of composite panels, was developed. In this follow-up work, the effects of fire retardants on fire performance, durability, and the mechanical properties of the composite panels based on OFMSW and melamine-formaldehyde resin were investigated. The performance of panels without fire retardants (control panels) was compared to panels containing either mono-ammonium phosphate (PFR) or aluminium trihydrate (ATH) at a mass fraction of 1% and 10% (modified panels). As shown by cone calorimetry, the total heat released was already low (about 31 MJ/m2 at 50 kW/m2) in the control panels, further decreased in the modified panels with the addition of fire retardants, and reached the lowest value (about 1.4 MJ/m2) with 10% mass fraction of PFR. Hence, the addition of fire retardants had a beneficial effect on the response to fire of the panels; however, it also reduced the mechanical properties of the panels as measured by flexural tests. The deterioration of the mechanical properties was particularly obvious in panels containing 10% mass fraction of fire retardants, and they were further degraded by artificial accelerated weathering, carried out by boiling tests. Ultimately, the panels containing PFR at a mass fraction of 1% offered the best balance of fire resistance, durability, and mechanical performance within the formulations investigated in this study.

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“…play in spreading wildfires in wildland-urban interface communities. 4,5 For these reasons, methods of effectively reducing wood flammability are of paramount importance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%