International Scientific Journals
of Scientific Technical Union of Mechanical Engineering "Industry 4.0"

This study focused on the fire-retardant treatment of wood and wood-based composites using various methods. The recent developments in the fire-retardant standards and classification of wood and wood-based composites were reviewed. Most commonly used fire-retardants and commercial application methods of fire retardants such as boron compounds and phosphates to improve fire resistance of wood and wood based composites were explained. Furthermore, fire-retardant mechanism was informed. Novel nanomaterials used in the fire resistance of wood and wood-based composites were introduced. Significant criteria in choosing of the suitable fire retardants for wood and wood-based composites were explained

Effects of various fire retardant (FR) chemicals on mechanical and fire properties of plywoods were investigated. Boron compounds such as, borax and boric acid; and phospate compounds such as, monoammonium phosphate and diammonium phospahate were used as fire retardant chemicals in the plywood panels. An exterior liquid phenol formaldehyde resin with 47% solids content was used as adhesive. The 2.2 mm thick Tetraberlina wood veneers were treated with the liquid solution of FR chemicals. The plywoods having 5-layers were produced from the treated wood veneers. The mechanical properties of the plywoods produced with treated veneers was found to be lower than that of the control group. Among the treated plywoods, The plywoods treated with borax had highest mechanical properties, followed by diammonium phosphate (DAP), monoammonimum phosphate (MAP), and, boric acid, respectively. The FR chemicals improved the fire resistance of the plywoods. The chemicals showed individually different effects related to improvement of fire resistance of the panels. For example, the OSB panels treated with diammonium phoshate were the latest ignited group (52.8 s) which were followed by the panels treated with boric acid (49.2 s), borax (44.5 s), and monoammonium phosphate (41.2 s), respectively. As compared to the control group (7.5 cm), the plywoods treated with borax (3.6 cm) had the shortest flame length after burner was turn off, followed by diammonium phosphate (4.2 cm), boric acid (5.1 cm), and monoammonium phosphate (5.8 cm).