Flame-retardant systems based on alkoxysilanes for wood protection

Abstract

The aim of this study was to formulate, develop, and determine the performance offlame-retardant systems for wood protection. Flame-retardant systems involve woodimpregnation and intumescent coating application. The impregnation was made in tworetention levels using silanes of low and high hydrophobicity (methyltriethoxysilaneand n-octyltriethoxysilane, respectively); these silanes were conducted to polymerizeby sol-gel process in wood pores. The intumescent coatings were formulated with apolymeric binder (hydroxy-functional acrylic resin) modified with n-octadecyltriethoxysilanein two w/w ratios to combine the individual characteristics of each film-formingmaterial. In this research, Pinus radiata panels were selected to study the performanceof quoted flame-retardant systems. The results indicated excellent flame-retardantperformance of some studied systems in two foot tunnel, in oxygen index cabin, and inhorizontal-vertical chamber.