Innovative Polyelectrolyte Treatment to Flame-Retard Wood

Abstract

Fire protection has been a major challenge in wood construction for many years, mainly due to the high flame spread risk associated with wood flooring. Wood fire-retardancy is framed by two main axes: coating and bulk impregnation. There is a growing need for economically and environmentally friendly alternatives. The study of polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) for wood substrates is in its infancy, but PECs’ versatility and eco-friendly character are already recognized for fabric fire-retardancy fabrics. In this study, a new approach to PEC characterization is proposed. First, PECs, which consist of polyethyleneimine and sodium phytate, were chemically and thermally characterized to select the most promising systems. Then, yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) was surface-impregnated under reduced pressure with the two PECs identified as the best options. Overall, wood fire-retardancy was improved with a low weight gain of 2 wt.% without increasing water uptake.

Polyelectrolyte photopolymer complexes for flame retardant wood

“…The coating solution is sufficiently low viscosity that it should be amenable to pressure treatment systems commonly used for wood. 20 This will likely also improve the speed of coating deposition and improve its commercial potential.…”

“…formed in situ by treating a soluble complex with a buffer), dramatically reducing processing steps and time. [16][17][18][19][20] These buffer-cured PEC treatments have also found use as gas barrier and antifouling coatings. [21][22][23] The practical application of this technology for wood is still limited by the need for long, sequential immersions of the substrate and the fact that the buffers foul quickly and are not reusable.…”

Viscoelastic and Thermal Properties of Styrene Modified Fir Wood

“…Nowadays, wood is known as a good building and engineering material due to its renewable and economic properties. Besides these properties, wood has several properties which are not appreciated in many cases, such as swelling and shrinkage with varying moisture content, biodegradability, flammability, and degradability by ultraviolet (UV) light, acid, and bases [4][5][6][7]. Wood is a porous material with a complex structure and recognisable by its inhomogeneity and anisotropy.…”

Highly Flame-Retardant and Low Heat/Smoke-Release Wood Materials: Fabrication and Properties

“…Flame retardant and fireproofing treatment of wood can slow or control fire spread effectively, improving fire-safety performance. A novel flame-retardant wood was prepared through surface-impregnation on yellow birch under reduced pressure with polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs) [ 6 ]. Although the reduced pressure shortened the treatment time, the fire-retardant properties of the prepared wood were not satisfactory.…”