• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.32 no.5
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• pp.149-156
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• 2017

This study investigates fire-retardant performances and combustion/thermal characteristics of fire-retardant treated wood by comparing them with those of fire-retardant untreated wood from the expreimental resutls of cone calorimeter and thermo-gravimetric(TG) analyzer. Hazardousness of combustion product gases for fire-retardant treated wood and untreasted wood were also observed from the results of internal finish material incombustibility test according to the Korea standard code of KS F 2271. In this study, we also tried to improve the fire retardant performance of wood by applying fire-retardant chemical composites, and to secure the fire safety performance in buildings. Red pine (Pinus densiflora) was selected as a test specimen because it is mostly used as a building material in Korea. Fire retardant chemical composites (FRCs) were prepared by mixing boron, phosphorous, and nitrogen species and treated by press-impregnation method. Water-based FRCs were composed of 3% boric acid($H_3BO_3$), 3% borax decahydrate($Na_2B_4O_7$), 8% ammonium carbonate($(NH_4)_2CO_3$), diammonium phosphate ($(NH_4)_2HPO_4$) varied from 10-30% and potassium carbonate($K_2CO_3$) varied from 10-30%. From the test results of cone calorimeter, TG analysis and gas hazard assessments, newly proposed were the optimal composition and production methods of FRCs which can sufficiently meet fire-retardant level 3 based on Korea law of construction. Thus, the FRCs, developed in this study, are anticipated to contribute to the improvement of fire safety and widespread of usage in wood as building materials.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2014

This study was conducted to examine the functionality of the fire retardant treated wood. The hygroscopic property, leaching resistance, metal corrosive efficacy and gas toxicity of retardant treated wood were analyzed. Sodium silicate was penetrated to the wood for making fire retardant treated wood. The subsequent treatment agents such as boric acid, ammonium borate, di-ammonium phosphate were treated after sodium silicate treatment due to fixation. As results for the test, the leaching resist was improved by subsequent treatment. The fire retardant combination such as sodium silicate, boric acid and di-ammonium phosphate showed high hygroscopic property, metal corrosive efficacy. The gas toxicity was also satisfied KS standard.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.40 no.5
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• pp.335-342
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• 2012

To prepare the eco-friendly fire retardant wood, Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora), Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and Radiata pine (Pinus radiata) were treated with inorganic chemicals, such as sodium silicate, boric acid, ammonium phosphate, and ammonium borate. Different combination and concentration of those chemicals were impregnated by vacuum/pressure treatment methods. The electron-beam treatment was used to increase the chemical penetration into the wood. The fire performance of the fire retardant treated wood was investigated. The penetration of chemicals into the wood was enhanced after electron beam treatment. Ignition time of the treated wood was the most effectively retarded by sodium silicate, ammonium phosphate, and ammonium borate. The most effective chemical combination was found at 50% sodium silicate and 3% ammonium borate, which satisfied flammability criteria for a fire retardant material in the KS F ISO 5660-1 standards.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.4 s.132
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• pp.38-44
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• 2005

This study was carried out to investigate the combustion characteristics of flame retardant treated wood by water-soluble flame retardants which are made from mixture of aqueous solution of monoammonium phosphate, sodium borate and zinc borate. The combustion characteristics for flame retardant treated wood were carried out using thermal analysis (TGA, combustion heat) and flame retardant test (LOI, flame propagation). The results of thermal analysis and flame retardant test are as follows; 1) The sample treated by F4 showed excellent flame retardant effects in almost all of combustion characteristics. 2) From TGA curves, all the samples undergo pyrolysis and oxidation in two main discrete steps. 3) The effect of flame retardant for softwood is higher than those for hardwood, and the combustion heat has decreased with increase of the content of flame retardant. 4) LOI values are almost similar in flame retardant treated wood samples. The range of LOI is from 24 to 30. However, these values are much higher than LOI value of non-treated wood sample. 5) The blended aqueous solution had a final in the range of about pH 8.4, and a slight odor of ammonia.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.6
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• pp.559-565
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• 2013

This study evaluated the ability of white and brown rot fungi to decompose fire retardant-treated wood by measuring mass loss. Anti efficacy of FRT against sapstain and mold fungi was evaluated. Wood was treated with liquid sodium silicate and boric acid, ammonium borate, di-ammonium phosphate. Retardant treated wood was then subjected to fungal decay resistance tests performed according to KS standard method using a brown-rot fungus, Fomitopsis palustris and white rot fungus Trametes versicolor. Aspergillus niger, Penicillium funiculosum, Rhizopus nigricans, Aureobasidium pullulans, Tricoderma virede fungi were used anti-sapstain and mold test. Boron and phosphorus chemicals used in this study increased the resistance of fire retardant treated wood against both fungal attack. Anti mold and sapstain efficacy of the fire retardant treated wood was excellent but there were difference depend on mold. After the liquid sodium silicate treatment, the second chemical treatment process could lead chemical fixation into wood, which effects decay resistance.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.31-42
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• 1992

In this study, the relative effectiveness of antimony trioxide-containing coat on fire retardancy of plywood, particleboard and medium density fiberboard was investigated and compared through ISO ignition test and inclined panel test with non-coated ones. The results obtained were summarized as fallows: Any treated materials was not ignited in inclined panel test with 5 minutes, but only particleboard among treated ones burned in ISO ignition test with fairly delayed time. The weight loss rate of plywood decreased with the increased addition level of fire-retardant and the least values were obtained in particleboard and MDF at addition level of 7% and 5% respectively. Carbonized area of wood based materials decreased with the increased addition level of fire retardant. The temperatures of back in plywood, particleboard treated with fire-retard ant coat containing 7% $Sb_2O_3$ showed the lowest but MDF did not show any effectiveness with the increased addition level. The first flash time of plywood treated with fire retardant coat containing 9% $Sb_2O_3$, MDF and particleboard treated with fire retardant coat containing 7% $Sb_2O_3$ were 257sec., 286.4sec., 165.4sec. respectively.

• Fire Science and Engineering
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• v.19 no.2 s.58
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• pp.105-110
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• 2005

We tested the char characteristics of fire retardant treated Douglas fir at each of five constant external irradiance levels $(10,\;15,\;20,\;25\;및\;35kW/m^2)$. A Cone heater was used to expose the wood specimens to the heat flux. The size of specimens is 100- by 100- by 50-mm and the kinds of specimens are non-treated wood(N) and treated wood(F2 and f4) by water soluble fire retardants. The water-soluble fire retardants were made from mixture of aqueous solutions of monoammonium phosphate, sodium borate and zinc borate, and those are used for immersion of Douglas fir. In result of test, char fraction of fire retardant treated Douglas fir showed a considerably low char fraction than it of non-treated wood irrespective of increase of external heat flux. And char fractions has low levels with increase of fire retardant content. Burning rate of non-treated wood(N) was showed a relatively high burning rate than it of fire retardant treated wood(F2 and F4). And difference of burning rate shown more rapidly in high external irradiance than low external irradiance. When the external heat flux is $35kW/m^2$, average char rate of non-treated wood is rapidly about twice than fire retardant treated wood. Water-soluble fire retardants mixed in this study find out it has fire suppression and adiabatic effect by char layer from results of char fraction, burning rate, and char depth and rate.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.46-54
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to examines the burning rate of fire retardant treated wood in the cone heater with a one-dimensional integral model. The wood samples used in this study were four species. The species of woods are Redwood, White oak, Douglas fir and Maple. Each sample was nominally 50mm thick and 100mm square. Samples were exposed to a range of incident heat fluxes 10 to $35kW/m^2$ using the cone heater. A one-dimension integral model has been used to predict burning rate, heat of gasification, flame heat fluxes, charring rate and char depth of samples. As a result measurement of mass loss rate, softwoods(Redwood and Douglas fir) has relatively low value than those for hardwoods(White oak and Maple). Average charring rate of woods in case of fire retardant treatment showed reduction effect of 41.29%, 50.00%, 48.18% and 60.82% for Redwood, Douglas fir, White fir and Maple, respectively. Almost all the predictions from integral model showed faster charring than those measured. Average difference between predictions and experimental data was 16%, 9.5% and 11.8% for N, F1 and F2 respectively. Water-soluble fire retardant used in this study find out more effect in hardwood than softwood from the result of measurement of mass loss rate and average charring rate.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.7-13
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• 2004

In this study, the Korean pine wood (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc) and Italian poplar wood (Populus euramericana Guinier) was treated with a mixture of monoammonium phosphate (MAP) and boric acid. Their usability as fire retardant and as decay-resistant construction and interior materials were evaluated by testing of chemicals, corrosion rate and absorption rate, weight loss and chemical contents. An experiment was performed to compare treated pine wood and Italian poplar wood. According to the results, Italian poplar wood had higher specific gravity and retention of chemicals than pine wood, and treated wood showed higher decay-resistance than untreated one. Weight loss was less in treated wood than untreated one because the degree of decay was lower in the former than the latter. Corrosion rate and absorption rate met the KS standard for wood preservative performance. The chemical contents analysis was carried out to determine the degree of decay and it was found that the preservative effect of chemical treatment was lower in Italian poplar wood than in pine wood.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2003

Shredded waste newspapers, waste acrylic raw fibers, and urea-formaldehyde (UF) adhesives, at 10% by weight on raw material, were used to produce recycled waste paper-waste acrylic raw fiber composite boards in laboratory scale experiments. The physical and mechanical properties of fire retardant treated recycled waste paper-waste acrylic raw fiber composite boards were examined to investigate the possibility of using the composites as internal finishing materials with specific gravities of 0.8 and 1.0, containing 5, 10, 20, and 30(wt.%) of waste acrylic raw fiber and 10, 15, 20, and 25(wt.%) of fire retardant (inorganic chemical, FR-7^®) using the fabricating method used by commercial fiberboard manufacturers. The bending modulus of rupture increased as board density increased, decreased as waste acrylic raw fiber content increased, and also decreased as the fire retardant content increased. Mechanical properties were a little inferior to medium density fiberboard (MDF) or hardboard (HB), but significantly superior to gypsum board (GB) and insulation board (IB). The incombustibility of the fire retardant treated composite board increased on increasing the fire retardant content. The study shows that there is a possibility that composites made of recycled waste paper and waste acrylic raw fiber can be use as fire retardant internal finishing materials.