Effect of H₃PO₄ and Phenol Additives on Gel Formation in Silica Fire Retardant Coatings for Building Materials

Abstract

Increasing the fire resistance of wooden building structures is quite effectively ensured thanks to the development of fire-fighting compositions with aromatic components that contribute to the formation of a carbonized layer on the surface of the material during combustion. It is also known about the mutual positive influence of benzene fragments and phosphate-containing compounds on the fire-resistant characteristics of wood. The paper considers the possibility of complex use of phenol and orthophosphate acid to improve the flame retardant properties of SiO2-based coatings. The effect of modifying additives on the rheological properties of silicic acid sols was determined. Based on the results of IR spectroscopy, the influence of components on the nature of polycondensation in experimental SiO2 sols was evaluated. It is shown that the use of orthophosphate acid as a modifier leads to the initiation of predominantly linear polycondensation in experimental sols. It was established that small additions of phenol practically do not affect the course of polycondensation in experimental sols. Increasing the phenol content to 0.5% showed an effect on gel formation due to the possible addition of phenol to the skeletal silanol groups by the donor-acceptor mechanism, which makes it possible to have a synergistic effect of the complex additive of orthophosphate acid and phenol on the properties of the silica-containing flame retardant composition.